UPDATED 11:29 am ET on 2023-05-12
Laos and China have officially started 20 days of joint military exercises in Laos aimed at bolstering their armed forces’ ability to combat terrorism, media reported on Thursday.
The May 9-28 drills, dubbed Friendship Shield-2023, come amid a heightened push by Beijing to engage with its neighbors in Southeast Asia, raising mistrust over China’s growing influence in the region. .
The exercises are being led by Maj. Gen. Phanh Seng Bounphanh, deputy commander of the Lao People’s Army, and Maj. Gen. Yang Wenlin, deputy commander of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s 75th Army Group Southern Theater Command, according to the official. Lao state media.
Some 200 Chinese soldiers and 700 Lao soldiers are taking part in the drills, which were officially launched after an opening ceremony on Thursday. The exercises are held at the Lao People’s Armed Forces Kommadam Academy and will train for joint attacks against transnational armed crime syndicates operating in a mountainous jungle environment.
The rare joint exercises represent an improvement in security cooperation between Laos and China, whose militaries have previously conducted joint humanitarian medical rescue exercises in Laos.
In addition to live fire, individual training, detachment tactics and combat support, the joint drills will also include sports competitions and cultural exchanges between the two militaries, as well as training in providing humanitarian assistance.
In preparation for the exercises in Laos, China’s military sent more than 300 assault vehicles, various types of artillery and equipment for mine clearance, explosive disposal and epidemic prevention.
Countering the American presence
While the drills are billed as a way to strengthen the two countries’ military ties, an expert, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Lao PDR that they are also intended for joint security efforts to “counter the presence of US United in Southeast Asia.
A Lao Defense Ministry official, who also declined to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said the exact location of the drills has not yet been revealed.
Members of the public interviewed by RFA said the joint exercises will be useful, as long as they serve as a cooperative exchange, rather than a means by which China can strengthen its influence and control in the region.
China has pushed to engage more deeply with its neighbors in Southeast Asia in recent months.
This year, China and Cambodia held joint exercises in Cambodian waters for the first time, in which the South China Theater Command also participated. The South Theater has within its area of operations the South China Sea, whose waters are the subject of a territorial dispute between China and several other countries in the region.
In November, Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed Laotian President Thongloun Sisoulith. to Beijing for a state visit, during which the two sides pledged to work together to “build a shared future.”
The drills in Laos could raise concerns in Vietnam, which is Laos’ traditional fraternal communist partner. In January, the Prime Minister of Laos, Dr. Sonexay Siphandone, and his Vietnamese counterpart, Pham Minh Chinh, signed 10 agreements on future cooperation, including the creation of a mechanism to discuss economic diplomacy and the training of diplomats and government officials. Ministry of Foreign Relations, during the first meeting of the latter. Official visit to Laos.
Last month, the US held its largest-ever annual drill with the Philippines, involving more than 17,000 people. Washington has expanded its military exercises in the region with annual war games in Indonesia and Thailand.
Translated by Sidney Khotpanya. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.
Updated to include context on how the drills could raise concerns in Vietnam.
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