THE opening ceremony of a joint military drill between China and five Southeast Asian countries kicked off in Zhanjiang City of south China’s Guangdong Province.
Troops from neighboring Southeast Asian nations like Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam attended the opening ceremony.
More than 3,000 participants took part in the exercise divided into land and maritime directions.
The training focuses on joint maritime counter-terrorism and anti-piracy operations while deepening military mutual trust among participating nations.
It was the first time that Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos participated in the military drill hosted by China.
The exercise is the first of its kind to be held in China and also attracted the largest number of participating countries.
