DUBBED “Blue Sword 2023”, naval forces from Saudi Arabia will visit China to conduct joint naval special operations training with Chinese military personnel this October.
The military training will be held in Guangdong, a coastal province of southeast China, located near the borders of Hong Kong and Macau.
The joint exercise is part of an international military cooperation plan and the consensus reached by the two sides, according to China’s Ministry of National Defense.
The military training is taken as a sign of strengthening ties between the oil-rich kingdom and Asia’s economic powerhouse.
In a press conference held in Beijing on Thursday, the spokesman of the Ministry of National Defense urged the United States to take concrete actions for the relationship between the Chinese and American armies to return to the right track.
The spokesman added that Taiwan’s launching of its first locally-made submarine named Narwhal will not hinder China’s plan for peaceful reunification with China.
Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, and China, the world’s biggest energy consumer, have been increasing cooperation in the energy and financial sectors, and have signed numerous bilateral agreements through the years.
