China and Thailand hold joint military exercises in Kunming

The joint exercise Strike 2024 is scheduled to take place over 11 days in the Chinese city of Kunming.

The South China Morning Post reported on October 16 that the Chinese and Thai armies are conducting joint exercises in Kunming city (China), including the participation of manned and unmanned combat vehicles.

The Strike 2024 exercise, which kicked off on October 15 in an area 800 km from Thailand’s northern border, will include hostage rescue operations, special demolitions, helicopter deployments and other activities and is expected to last 11 days.

The aim of the exercise is to enhance joint operations capabilities in complex situations, such as mountains and forests, cross-border crime operations and non-traditional security threats, to "contribute positively to regional stability," according to the PLA Daily .

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After the opening ceremony, Thai soldiers observed Chinese forces conducting combat exercises and had hands-on experience with light weapons, unmanned combat vehicles and reconnaissance equipment used by the Chinese side.

Video from China Central Television (CCTV) shows Thai soldiers, who normally use US-supplied weapons, conducting drills with different models of Chinese-made Type-95-1 assault rifles.

This is the 7th exercise in the Strike series between the armed forces of the two countries and is held in the context of China strengthening its international relations with Southeast Asian countries.

Southeast Asia is the only region where the number of Chinese joint military exercises has returned to pre-Covid-19 pandemic levels, according to a report by the US Naval War College.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/trung-quoc-va-thai-lan-tap-tran-chung-tai-con-minh-185241016211520686.htm