A naval ship of China (Photo: thedefensepost.com)Hanoi (VNA) – The Association of SoutheastAsian Nations (ASEAN) and China launched the first-ever maritime exercise off thecoast of Zhanjiang city, southern Guangdong province on October 22.
The joint exercise, co-organised by the navies of Chinaand Singapore, the chair of ASEAN in 2018, involves eight naval ships and about1,200 personnel from 11 countries. The week-long drill includes joint searchand rescue operation.
At the opening ceremony attended by all ten ASEAN nationsand China, Singapore’s navy chief Rear Admiral Lew Chuen Hong emphasised theEast Sea’s importance to the region, and affirmed that the regional prosperity isonly possible if the sea is stable and secure.
According to Lew, it is important to have a set of commonrules and understanding to allow the stable and collective use of a sharedspace. He gave the examples of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law ofthe Sea (UNCLOS) and the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES) agreed byASEAN and regional powers last year.
Chinese Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe said in ameeting with heads of the ASEAN delegations on October 21 that the exercise notonly marks a significant milestone in the history of China – ASEAN relationsbut also demonstrates the confidence and determination of both sides tomaintain regional peace and stability.
The drill will run through October 28, including jointsearch and rescue operation.
It was proposed by China in 2015 and agreed to be held ata meeting between Wei and ASEAN defence ministers in February last year.
A similar exercise will be held between ASEAN and the US next year. –VNA
VNA
