Singapore, Sept 1: The navies of Singapore and China on Sunday began the third edition of a bilateral maritime exercise, underscoring the “longstanding, warm and friendly” defence ties between the two countries, according to an official statement.
The Exercise Maritime Cooperation is being conducted between the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) from September 1 to 5, the Ministry of Defence here said in a statement.
Its opening ceremony was held at the Ma Xie Naval Base in Zhanjiang, China, on Sunday, with about 200 personnel from both navies in attendance, The Straits Times newspaper reported.
This is the third edition of the maritime exercise since its inauguration in 2015.
The exercise underscores the “longstanding, warm and friendly bilateral defence relationship between both countries”, the statement said.
The Formidable-class frigate RSS Stalwart from Singapore is participating in the exercise. It will observe the conduct of various tasks by the PLA Navy ships, such as vessel boarding and mine clearance, the report said.
The RSN fleet commander, Rear-Admiral Kwan Hon Chuong, said the exercise demonstrates a strong and friendly defence relationship between both countries.
“This exercise has consistently provided invaluable opportunities for our navies to learn from each other, build mutual trust and understanding, and forge friendships,” the report quoted the commander as saying.
In an earlier statement on August 29, the ministry said personnel from both navies would engage in exercises such as gunnery firing, helicopter cross-deck landing, and familiarisation with voice procedures for simulated firings.
“Besides bilateral exercises, the two armed forces also interact regularly through high-level exchanges, mutual visits and the cross-attendance of courses,” the report cited the ministry statement. (PTI)
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