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Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Footage Shows China and Ally Flexing Military Muscles
The Chinese military released footage showing it and Cambodia, one of Beijing's closest partners in Southeast Asia, conducting a military drill near the contested South China Sea. The bilateral exercise, code-named Golden Dragon 2025 and held in Cambodia, enhanced both sides' capabilities in "jointly maintaining maritime security," said the Chinese navy on X, formerly Twitter. The drill demonstrated both countries' militaries "have been well aligned in partnership for responding to all kinds of security threats," the Cambodian Defense Ministry said. China has described its relations with Cambodia as "unbreakable and rock-solid," with both sides maintaining close military cooperation, including the construction of a joint logistics and training center at Cambodia's Ream naval base, which was put into service in April. The center, which is China's second publicly acknowledged overseas base, enables the East Asian power to project and sustain its military presence in the South China Sea, where its territorial claims cover most of the waters and overlap with those of neighboring countries. In a video released on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, the Chinese navy announced that a "combined joint field training exercise" was conducted at sea and in the air near Port Sihanoukville in Southwestern Cambodia, as part of Exercise Golden Dragon 2025, on Monday local time. Chinese and Cambodian naval vessels were seen sailing in formation, the footage shows, while military personnel boarded a ship, subdued suspected hijackers, and rescued hostages. A Chinese Type 056A corvette, CNS Panzhihua, fired its gun at sea targets during the drill. Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Chinese Defense Ministry, stated on Thursday that the seventh iteration of the Exercise Golden Dragon series, which commenced on May 14 and concluded on Wednesday, focused on counterterrorism and humanitarian assistance operations. The exercise marked the first time the recently inaugurated joint center at Ream naval base was used to support drills at sea, the Chinese spokesperson said, claiming that the war game enhanced the two militaries' "command coordination and emergency response capabilities." Meanwhile, the Cambodian Defense Ministry stated that the joint exercise achieved "excellent results," noting that the two militaries overcame obstacles and difficulties and are now ready to contribute to maintaining peace and security in the region and worldwide. Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Chinese Defense Ministry, said on Thursday: "China and Cambodia are iron-clad friends with rock-solid relations. The Chinese and Cambodian militaries will work in concert to act on the important consensus between leaders of the two countries." Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said on April 12: "I highly appreciate China, which is an important partner supporting Cambodia's development in all sectors in all circumstances and without complicated conditions." It remains unclear whether China will conduct further military exercises in Cambodia as tensions in the South China Sea remain high, with the United States having deployed an aircraft carrier to the region. Related Articles China Reacts to Trump Tariffs BombshellChinese Bombers Seen in South China Sea Amid US Aircraft Carrier PatrolHow China Became the World's Largest Debt CollectorChina Learns New Lessons From Russia-Ukraine War: Report 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Miami Herald
5 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Photos Show New US Missiles Sent to China's Doorstep
The United States has once again deployed its NMESIS ship-sinking missile system on a Philippine island group for military drills, amid the presence of the Chinese navy in nearby waters. Newsweek has reached out to the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment by email. NMESIS stands for Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System-a U.S. Marine Corps ground-based launcher armed with two Naval Strike Missiles, capable of striking sea targets 115 miles away. It is designed for maritime warfare operations in the Pacific Ocean. During Exercise Balikatan 2025, held from April 21 to May 9 in the Philippines, the U.S. Marine Corps simulated anti-ship operations using NMESIS on Batan Island in the Luzon Strait-a key gateway for China's naval deployments beyond its surrounding waters. The Philippines plays a significant role in America's Indo-Pacific strategy. It is one of three nations-alongside Japan and Taiwan-that form a containment strategy known as the First Island Chain, aimed at restricting China's naval access to the broader Western Pacific Ocean. In a video released by the U.S. Marine Corps, a NMESIS launcher was shown being airlifted by a KC-130J transport aircraft to the Batanes Island chain-located north of the main Philippine island Luzon-on Sunday for the Maritime Key Terrain Security Operation. The operation, aimed at rehearsing the defense of key maritime terrain, is part of Exercise KAMANDAG 9-a war game involving the U.S., the Philippines, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom, scheduled from Monday to June 6 and taking place across the Philippines. Unlike Exercise Balikatan 2025, where no live missiles were launched by the NMESIS, the weapon will be employed in a live-fire drill during Exercise KAMANDAG 9 "if the weather permits," Philippine media outlet ABS-CBN reported, citing the country's marine corps. KAMANDAG-an acronym for the Filipino phrase "Kaagapay Ng Mga Mandirigma Ng Dagat," which translates to "Cooperation of Warriors of the Sea"-is an annual bilateral drill led by the U.S. and Philippine marine corps since 2016 to strengthen the allies' capabilities. This year's exercise underscored what the U.S. Marine Corps called the "global importance of maritime security," as well as the value of building "multinational maritime domain awareness," and a shared commitment to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. In addition to the Maritime Key Terrain Security Operation, the exercise featured defensive counter-landing live-fire drills, littoral maneuvers, amphibious operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief training, as well as various subject matter expert exchanges. Colonel Jason C. Armas, commanding officer of the U.S. Marine Rotational Force-Darwin 25.3 Marine Air-Ground Task Force, said: "Training shoulder to shoulder with our Philippine Marine Corps partners isn't just about building interoperability-it's about forging trust in the crucible of shared hardship and preparing together to respond with speed and precision to any crisis, anywhere, anytime." Major General Arturo G. Rojas, commandant of the Philippine Marine Corps, said: "This year's KAMANDAG is a testament to the enduring partnership between the Philippine Marine Corps and the United States Marine Corps. By operating jointly in complex environments, we are strengthening our capability to defend the archipelago and contributing to a secure and stable Indo-Pacific." It was unclear whether the NMESIS will remain in the Philippines after the conclusion of the exercise. A U.S. Army Mid-Range Capability missile system, which was initially deployed for exercises, has been stationed in the Southeast Asian country since April of last year. Related Articles Iran Threatens Strike on Israel as US Talks Hang in BalanceUS Military Pullback in Africa Opens Door for China and RussiaTrump Says Iran Deal Close To Avoid 'A Lot of People Dead'List of Fast Food Chain Hours for Memorial Day 2025 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
The Independent
02-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
China conducts military drills focusing on Taiwan Strait
China conducted military drills around Taiwan for a second day Wednesday focusing on the Taiwan Strait separating the self-governing island democracy from China that is a crucial conduit for international trade. The Strait Thunder-2025A drills were held Wednesday morning in the middle and southern areas of the Taiwan Strait, a People's Liberation Army spokesperson said. Taiwan's military said it was closely monitoring the drills but there was nothing unusual on the island of 23 million people that China claims as its own territory. Wednesday's exercises 'focus on subjects of identification and verification, warning and expulsion, and interception and detention so as to test the troops' capabilities of area regulation and control, joint blockade and control, and precision strikes on key targets.' Eastern Theater Command spokesperson Shi Yi was quoted as saying on the Chinese Defense Ministry's Weibo social media account. Taiwan on Wednesday reported 76 military aircraft, and 19 naval or government ships had entered waters and airspace near the island over the past 24 hours, with 37 of the planes crossing the center line in the 160-kilometer (110-mille) wide Taiwan Strait that forms an unofficial border, but which China refuses to acknowledge. China's Shandong aircraft carrier group also entered into Taiwan's air defense identification zone, a self-defined area tracked by the military. Beijing sends warplanes and navy vessels toward the island on a daily basis, and in recent years it has stepped up the scope and scale of these exercises. Taiwanese officials have recently warned that China could launch a sneak attack under the guise of military exercises. Any conflict could draw in the U.S. which maintains a series of alliances in the region, provides Taiwan with high-tech arms and is legally bound to respond to threats to the island. 'Once again, China's aggressive military activities and rhetoric toward Taiwan only serve to exacerbate tensions and put the region's security and the world's prosperity at risk,' State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said. 'In the face of China's intimidation tactics and destabilizing behavior, the United States' enduring commitment to our allies and partners, including Taiwan, continues,' Bruce said in a statement. Taiwan has set up a central response group to monitor the latest exercises, according to Taiwan's Defense Minister Wellington Koo. China's Taiwan Affairs Office said the exercises were directed at Lai Ching-te, Taiwan's strongly pro-independence president. Polling shows the overwhelming majority of the island's residents reject the possibility of Chinese rule and back their current state of Taiwan independence. Taiwan and China split amid civil war 76 years ago, but tensions have risen since 2016, when China cut off almost all contacts with Taipei.
