The Golden Dragon 2024 naval exercise concludes successfully

Soth Koemsoeun
May 27, 2024

Cambodian and Chinese vessels practice joint manoeuvres during the Golden Dragon Exercise 2024 in the Gulf of Thailand. Ministry of Defence

The first “Golden Dragon 2024” exercise between the Cambodian and Chinese navies ended yesterday, while the sixth army exercises will end on Thursday.

Major General Thong Solimo, Deputy Director of Information and Communication at the General Command and spokesman for the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF), said yesterday that “The exercise for the navies was completed yesterday, while the exercise for the two armies is scheduled to end on Thursday.”

“On the final day of the Golden Dragon 2024 exercise both troops will hold a a grand finale at the Military Police Training Centre in Samakki Meanchey district in Kampong Chhnang province,” he said.

“The exercise is aimed at exchanging experiences, maintaining cooperation, increasing trust, and further developing the relations between the two armies and navies,” he said.

Gao Xiucheng (L), Assistant Chief of Staff of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), and General Ith Sarath salute personnel during the Golden Dragon Exercise 2024. Ministry of Defence

The remarks were made during the closing ceremony of the naval exercise which was presided over by Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the RCAF and Chairman of the Exercise Committees with China General Ith Sarath and Major General Gao Xiucheng, Assistant Chief of Staff of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theatre Command, at Ream Naval Base in Preah Sihanouk province yesterday.

Maj Gen Solimo, said that Gen Sarath emphasised that the current naval exercises were not a threat to any country, and that it aimed to exchange experiences between the two navies in order to increase the capacity of both and combat terrorism on the sea.

According to Maj Gen Solimo, Gen Sarath also gave instructions to the Cambodian and Chinese navies to continue to pay attention to cooperation in all fields and exchange experiences with each other to increase professional skills and gain knowledge on military technology.

Gen Sarath said the two sides must continue to promote solidarity, friendship, and strategic cooperation between the leaders of both countries, adding that the two armies set out to build common cooperation and a common destiny.

A statement from the Chinese National Defence Ministry said on Saturday that the Chinese troops participating in the China-Cambodia “Golden Dragon 2024” joint exercise dispatched a medical unit to carry out free health treatment at a local health centre in Kampong Chhnang province on Wednesday last week.

The Chinese medical unit consisted of 20 medical staff members, including nine specialists in orthopedics and endocrinology. On Wednesday morning, the team treated more than 300 locals with on-site diagnosis and treatment, and distributed more than 500 boxes of medicines, it said.

The Chinese troops visited a local school and donated educational material to the teachers and students on May 20, it said.

“These two charitable activities were an important part of the joint exercise, aiming to further enhance the friendship between the people of the two countries,” the statement added.

Thong Mengdavid, Geopolitical Analyst and Lecturer at the Institute for International Studies and Public Policy (IISPP) at the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP), said yesterday that the joint Cambodian-Chinese naval exercise is aimed at expanding military cooperation between the two navies, as well as increasing preparedness to maintain order, stability, and security of maritime space in the region.

The exercise will promote the exchange of information and experience, the development of skills and training for both troops, as well as the testing and sharing of new technologies with each other, he said.

“During the context of international security and the rise of transnational crime in the region, Cambodia has always focused on maintaining security and regional order,” he said.

“Cambodia is always involved in international security cooperation under the auspices of the United Nations and under the framework of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as well,” Mengdavid added.

The army drills are taking place over a 15-day period, and for the navies, over 12 days. They involve over 2,000 Cambodian and 760 Chinese soldiers, and feature a variety of military hardware, including 14 warships, helicopters, robotic dogs, and armoured vehicles.