
China announces joint naval drills with Thailand near South China Sea port
China and Thailand will begin joint naval drills later this month with a focus on counterterrorism tactics and anti-submarine warfare, according to the Chinese defence ministry.
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The location mentioned suggests that the exercises will take place in the South China Sea.
The 'Blue Strike-2025' joint naval drills would be held from 'late March to early April' near Zhanjiang, in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, the ministry said in a notice posted on its website on Monday.
The port city of Zhanjiang sits on the South China Sea coast, facing the Chinese tropical island province of Hainan.
The drills would include urban counterterrorism tactics, joint maritime strike exercises and joint anti-submarine warfare training, according to the notice.
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It noted that this would be the sixth such naval exercise between China and Thailand, and would 'have a positive impact on deepening pragmatic cooperation between the two countries' navies and enhancing their joint maritime operational capabilities'.
The first Chinese-Thai joint naval drills were held in 2010, and the last time was in September 2023.

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