The Chinese navy held a welcome ceremony for visiting Thai fleet on Tuesday at a military port in Zhanjiang, south China's Guangdong Province, ahead of a joint maritime exercise.
Scheduled from late March to early April, the exercise "Blue Strike-2025" takes place in the maritime and airspace around Zhanjiang.
It marks the sixth edition of the joint drills between the two navies and coincides with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The drills focus on urban counter-terrorism tactics, joint maritime strike operations, and anti-submarine warfare training, with an aim to enhance interoperability and strengthen their joint operational capabilities of both navies.
During the port call, both sides will engage in tactical exchanges, professional seminars, and cultural activities.
Chinese naval assets involved include the Kunming missile destroyer (Hull 172), the Qilianshan amphibious dock landing ship (Hull 985), the Xuchang missile frigate (Hull 536), the Tianmen missile frigate (Hull 631), and the Xiangyanghu rescue vessel (Hull832 ), as well as naval helicopters and marine corps personnel.
The first Chinese-Thai joint naval drills took place in 2010, and the most recent exercise was held in September 2023.
Welcome ceremony held before China-Thailand joint maritime exercise
