The "Strike 2024" joint military drill between China and Thailand commenced on Tuesday in Kunming City of southwest China's Yunnan Province, focusing on joint counter-terrorism operations.
The drill, set in the background of hostage rescuing, covers mixed exercises of demolition, battlefield rescue and more. Military officials from both countries are holding high anticipations toward the drill.
"The China-Thailand 'Strike 2024' joint military drill is highly anticipated. I look forward to exchanging military knowledge and counter-terrorism experience with the Chinese side during this year's training. I wish the joint training a great success and hope that the friendship between the two armies will grow stronger," said Pakkawat, commander of the Thai side.
"The joint drill is mainly comprised of three parts: integrated unit training, counter-terrorism drills, and cultural exchanges. The highlight is the exploration of unmanned and intelligent combat, as well as discussions on manned-unmanned coordinated tactics. We hope to deepen exchanges on training methods and combat strategies of special forces, enhance joint counter-terrorism and emergency response capabilities, and further build the China-Thailand 'Strike' joint training series as a significant platform for military cooperation and exchange between two countries," said Yang Jiansong, member of command team of the Chinese side.
The drill, planned to last for 11 days, is the 7th of the "Strike" joint training series between the Chinese and Thai land forces.
China, Thailand hold joint counter-terrorism military drill
The World Data Organization (WDO) has brought together more than 200 members from over 40 countries worldwide, as a newly established international platform for cross-border data collaboration.
The World Data Organization is the first professional international organization focused on advancing data development and governance practices. Established on Monday with its headquarters in Beijing, the organization serves as a global, non-governmental, and non-profit platform for dialogue, rule-making, and collaboration.
The diverse membership of the WDO includes enterprises, universities, think tanks, international organizations and financial institutions, spanning 14 industries such as manufacturing, finance, healthcare, e-commerce, transportation, energy and agriculture, with members from over 40 countries. This broad global footprint and diversified membership have enabled the WDO to preliminarily form a collaborative ecosystem with broad coverage and multi-party synergy.
Zhao Houlin, former secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union, noted its unique value in nurturing global digital talent and facilitating cross-border knowledge sharing.
"This platform can help us train and cultivate leading talent in the field of data communications from all countries. Through this platform, these professionals will gain insights into China's development experience as well as that of other nations, and can better apply what they have learned to the economic construction and technological advancement of their home countries," said Zhao Houlin, former secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union.
While talent development stands as a core pillar of the WDO's mission, global industry leaders also highlighted the organization's critical role in bridging data division and advancing inclusive digital growth, as cross-border data flows face rising risks of division and barriers.
"Data in the cloud is one thing that can create huge borders, so we must work together. So I think what you're seeing now is China saying we're looking into the problems and the solutions and we're trying to address that," said Jack Perry, chairman of the 48 Group.
Looking ahead, the WDO will focus on two core missions. The first is breaking barriers by harmonizing global data policies to support governments and research institutions, while lowering compliance costs for multinational enterprises. The second is building ecosystems through the deployment of data applications in sectors such as healthcare and education. Through these efforts, the organization aims to strengthen talent development, particularly in the Global South, to effectively bridge the digital divide.
It is expected that by 2030, the World Data Organization will become an internationally influential platform and a trusted hub in the data field.
World Data Organization gathers over 200 members across more than 40 countries
