Chinese naval vessels set sail for joint drill with Malaysia

The Chinese naval vessels Yinchuan, Jinggangshan and Jingmen, scheduled to participate in the joint military exercise with Malaysia, set off from China's Sanya City, Zhanjiang City and Hong Kong respectively and headed for Malaysia on Wednesday.

Chinese and Malaysian armed forces will conduct a joint drill in Malaysia and its adjacent waters in mid-to-late October, according to a statement released by the Chinese Ministry of National Defense on Wednesday.

Code-named "Peace and Friendship 2025," the drill will focus on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, as well as maritime security, said the statement.

Over 1,000 Chinese and Malaysian troops will participate in the event. The live joint exercise will involve multi-service forces from the Chinese and Malaysian militaries. Other ASEAN member states have been invited to send observers.

Before setting out, the Chinese troops underwent intensive training, preparing for a successful completion of the mission.

This will be the sixth joint exercise program of the "Peace and Friendship" series. It aims to deepen practical cooperation between the military forces of China and Southeast Asian countries, enhancing their capability to address non-traditional security threats and safeguard regional peace and stability.

Yinchuan (hull 175) is a Type 052D guided-missile destroyer independently designed and built by China, with a total length of over 150 meters, a width of over 20 meters, and a displacement of nearly 7,000 tons. The vessel was commissioned in 2016 and has successively carried out a number of major training and exercise tasks, including escorting in the Gulf of Aden, visiting Hong Kong, participating in joint exercises with Pakistan, and conducting long-range combat readiness patrols.

Jinggangshan (hull 999) is a Type 071 amphibious dock landing ship that was commissioned on November 28, 2011. The ship is 210 meters in total length, 28 meters in width, and has a displacement of over 19,000 tons. Since its commissioning, it has carried out a number of major training and exercise tasks, including escorting in the Gulf of Aden and participating in the joint drill with Cambodia.

Jingmen (hull 667) is a Type 056A frigate that was commissioned in January 2016. The frigate is 90 meters in total length, 12 meters in width and has a displacement of over 1,400 tons.

Chinese naval vessels set sail for joint drill with Malaysia

Though tens of billions of pesos spent on flood control projects in recent years in the Philippines, questions have been raised about the value of that investment as flooding from Typhoon Kalmaegi left at least 114 people dead and 127 missing, with more than 2.14 million people affected nationwide.

In Talisay City, Cebu Province, homes have been reduced to rubble, mud has clogged up streets and families are left picking through the wreckage of homes that have been swept away by floodwaters.

"I saw a banana being washed away and I grabbed it for breakfast. It's very hard because our food at home, like rice, also got washed away. We used to live here, but most of our houses have been swept away,”said Mary Jean Apog who has taken shelter in a makeshift tent built from storm debris.

Many residents in flood-affected areas have been left wondering whether money earmarked by the government for flood control projects has been spent wisely.

Between 2022 and 2025, more than 400 flood-protection projects worth over 26 billion pesos (about 441 million U.S. dollars) have been launched in Cebu, the second highest investment of all the nation's provinces.

Vince Dizon, secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) visited Talisay City on Wednesday, where he said people should be held accountable for the poor state of the region's flood defenses.

"Poorly planned, poorly executed, and we don't know if there are anomalies here. That will be up to the ICI (Independent Commission on Infrastructure) to find. But definitely, someone should be held accountable here," he said.

According to the country's disaster management authority, more than 6,700 houses were damaged in the typhoon, and hospitals, schools, and other public facilities suffered extensive damage. Power and communications were disrupted in many towns, closing schools and businesses.

Authorities have declared a state of emergency in response to the disaster.

Flood control projects under question as Typhoon wreaks havoc in Philippines