As part of the nine-day Peace and Friendship drill, China's defense ministry confirmed that the country will join the scheduled training exercise alongside Thailand and Malaysia. Many analysts believe that the decision to join the said exercise is part of China's strategy to boost military cooperation with its neighbors in the Southeast Asian region.
Over the past several years, China has been stepping up its defense partnership with a number of important Asian countries. China has been busy establishing diplomatic channels, economic partnerships, and military exercises with various countries in the region. One of the key examples of China's such effort is the upcoming implementation of the second phase of the ASEAN-China Maritime Exercise.
The said maritime exercise is scheduled to run from Oct. 22 to 29. While some might say that this is China's new strategy to persuade countries in the region, it is important to note that China has been engaging in the various military drill with some of those countries. Most notable of which is Malaysia which runs an annual military exercise with China since 2014. This exercise is implemented under the banner of "Peace and Friendship."
This week, top Chinese officials confirm that the country will be participating in a trilateral military exercise alongside Malaysia and Thailand. Such exercise is the first of its kind, although China has had exercises with the two countries in a separate capacity.
According to a statement released by China's Ministry of Defense, the country will send a contingent composed of three destroyers, three Ilyushin IL-76 heavy means of transport, and two shipboard helicopters to participate in the military exercises. In terms of manpower, the country is sending a combined contingent of 692 military officers and soldiers to participate in the said exercise.
Although both China and Malaysia has yet to confirm it, many observers believe that the exercise is part of an ongoing expansion of the two countries' series of military drills in the past. On top of that, many believe that it is also part of a bigger strategy to boost peace and stability within the region.
The military drill will be held despite the backdrop of growing tension in the highly disputed South China Sea. Just last month, American and Chinese warships nearly collide in an area near the Spratly group of islands. This is the second time that China is taking part in a military exercise in the Strait of Malacca, an important route which likes the Pacific and the Indian oceans.
