TWO Chinese military vessels will visit Cambodia and East Timor from the first half of May to mid-June.
China will be sending its largest naval training ship Qijiguang along with a giant amphibious warfare ship Jinggangshan.
Its naval training ship is capable of transporting helicopters, armored vehicles, boats, and landing craft as well as nearly 1,000 troops while its warfare ship is China’s most advanced military training vessel.
The two warships will train with local naval cadets to enhance mutual trust between their navies, according to the Chinese Defense Ministry.
The upcoming visit came at a time when the U.S. expressed its concerns about the presence of Chinese warships at Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base.
Cambodia’s decision to allow China to develop the naval base has upset Washington amid concerns the Southeast Asian country will give Beijing a new outpost near the contested South China Sea.
Cambodia’s Defense Ministry insisted earlier this week insisted that the months-long presence of two Chinese warships in its naval base does not mean that the Chinese military will be deployed permanently in the country.
