APD | Cambodia-China’s large scale military exercise starts
By APD writer Kin Ratha
PHNOM PENH, March. 13 (APD) - The 3rd Joint-Large-Scale Military Exercise between Cambodia’s Royal Armed Forces and Chinese People’s Liberation Army so called Dragon Gold starts today and it will last for 15 days.
The Dragon Gold is jointly participated by thousands of troops, and dozens of heavy military combat of both nations will be display on the opening day of the drill, according to Ministry of National Defence.
All heavy military equipment, such as tanks armoured trucks and helicopters was taken to live fire exercise field of the RCAF’s brigade 70 located in Chom Kiri district’s Trapaing Raing commune in Kampot province since March 9 in order to prepare for the exercise day.
The 15-day Golden Dragon 2019 military exercises will have an opening ceremony today and closing ceremony on March 27. RCAF Commander-in-chief General Vong Pisen is scheduled to attend the opening ceremony, while Defence Minister General Tea Banh will attend its closing.
According to the latest schedule for the Chinese counterpart, PLA’s Major General Feng Xiang will present on the opening day today.
National Defense Ministry spokesman said that during the 15-day joint military drill, there will be 252 Chinese soldiers and 2,542 Cambodian soldiers, including 382 training soldiers and 448 service soldiers.
“This Golden Dragon military exercise will focus on drills on counter-terrorism and hostage rescue, natural disaster response, UN missions and infantry engineering,” he said. “Some important military equipment, such as armoured trucks, tanks, artilleries, mortars and helicopters will be used for the drill this year.”
Just two week before the opening ceremony today, RCAF army commander Lieutenant General Hun Manet spent his five-day trip to China to bolster the cooperation between both countries’ armies.
He met with top Chinese military commanders, including Chinese People’s Liberation Army commander General Han Weigu, Air Force General Xu Qiliang who is also Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission and Chinese State Councillor and Defence Minister Wei Fenghe.
Cambodia and China hold the join military exercise for the third year. On December 16, 2016 Cambodian and Chinese armed forces started a nine-day joint military drill at Kampong Speu province’s Army Institute.
The exercise, code named Dragon Gold 2016, aims to enhance countries’ humanitarian rescue efforts as well as disaster relief skills and it involved with 97 Chinese army personnel and 280 of their Cambodian counterparts.
On March 17, 2018, the both sides started the 17 days of second Dragon Gold 2018 from March 15 through March 31, in Kampong Spue province and were conducted under the banner of Counter-terrorism and humanitarian relief. The operation Golden Dragon 2018 was a military exercise celebrating 60 years of diplomatic relations between Cambodia and China.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
