Cambodia-China Joint Military Drill Begins

The joint military drill dubbed “Golden Dragon” between the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) kicked off at the Royal Gendarmerie Training Centre in Peam commune, Samaky Meanchey district, Kampong Chhnang province this morning.

H.E. Gen. Hun Manet, RCAF Deputy Commander-in-Chief and Commander of Royal Cambodian Army, and a senior representative of PLA presided over the opening ceremony.

The two-week-long joint exercise, the fifth of its kind, was themed “Security Operations in Major Events and Humanitarian Relief.”

Major General Thong Solimo, RCAF Spokesperson, said there are 583 Cambodian soldiers directly involved in the exercise while the PLA side dispatched 257 soldiers.

The military exercise will contribute to boosting the good relations and cooperation between both countries’ armies and strengthening the bonds of solidarity, friendship, knowledge and experience sharing, as well as the coordination between many nations during joint operations and response to non-traditional challenges, he added.

“Golden Dragon” military exercise, which began in 2016, aims to exchange experience and enhance the capacity of the RCAF and PLA in humanitarian operations, disaster rescue and counter-terrorism in the UN framework in accordance with the cooperation between the two countries’ Ministries of National Defence.

Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse