Officers from China and Thailand hold hands to express the "long live China-Thailand friendship" during the opening ceremony. (Photo by Gao Guojing)
SATTAHIP, Thailand, Sep.4 -- More than 400 officers and soldiers from China and Thailand participated in the opening ceremony of the "Blue Strike 2023" joint naval training at the Sattahip Naval Base in Thailand on September 3, 2023.
The joint training aims to promote mutual learning and exchange of operational training experience between the two sides, enhance their capabilities to jointly address regional security threats, and deepen military cooperation and exchanges. Chinese Ambassador to Thailand Han Zhiqiang and Admiral Chatchai Sriworakhan, Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Navy, attended the opening ceremony.
During the joint training, the Marine Corps from both sides will conduct training exercises including urban warfare, light weapons shooting, sniping tactics, armored tactics, chemical defense, battlefield first aid, wilderness survival, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief. The naval units will engage in joint training exercises such as replenishment-at-sea, maneuvering drills, helicopter deck-landing, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, aerial photography, joint anti-submarine operations, and light signal communication.
The "Blue Strik" joint navel training between China and Thailand is a significant step to implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and their armed forces. "Blue Strike 2023" marks the 5th joint training of this series since the inception in 2010.
On September 2, the day before the opening ceremony, the Chinese task force's ships participating in the "Blue Strike 2023" joint naval training held an open ship activity. More than 400 personnel visited the ships, deepening their understanding of China’'s naval construction and development.