THE ongoing Aman Youyi-2023 Multinational Joint Exercise progressed this week with participating troops completing land and sea-based drills focused on counterterrorism and maritime security.
Troops from China and the five ASEAN member countries of Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos have gathered off the Coast of Zhanjiang in South China’s Guangdong Province since last week.
The drills started the week with anti-terrorist operations wherein participating military personnel engaged in a role-playing scenario in a city surrounded by terrorists and took civilians as hostages.
The role-play involved an air assault team and two helicopters and focused on how the troops would respond in this kind of scenario while enhancing their combat-ready capabilities.
Besides training, the soldiers were also involved in discussions and in-depth exchanges where they had the chance to share their thoughts and experiences ranging from the use of weapons, personnel formation, and tactical maneuvers, to name a few.
Aman Youyi – a combination of the Malay word for “peace” and the Chinese word for “friendship” – aims to build friendship and strengthen military ties between China and its neighboring nations at a time when Beijing and Washington race for greater influence in the region.
In April, more than 17,600 members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the US military participated in the 2023 Balikatan Exercise amid Washington’s attempt to increase its military presence in the Asia-Pacific Region.
The drills started on November 13 and ended on November 22.
