The China-Laos "Peace Train-2026" joint humanitarian medical rescue exercise opened on Monday morning in the Lao capital Vientiane.
Chandy Soulivongsak, director general of the General Logistics Department of the Lao People's Army, and Wu Dan, head of the Chinese command and coordination group, delivered speeches at a opening ceremony and announced the official start of the joint exercise.
In his speech, Chandy said that the Laos-China "Peace Train" joint exercise and medical service activities serve as a platform for enhancing the two militaries' capabilities in joint rescue and response to natural disasters, demonstrating the close and friendly relations between the two countries and the two militaries.
He expressed confidence that the joint exercise would further deepen medical support cooperation between the two militaries.
Wu said that the Chinese and Lao militaries have held this series of joint exercises six times since 2017. The return of the "Peace Train" medical team to Laos is not only a vivid practice of building an all-weather China-Laos community with a shared future in the new era, but also an important practice for deepening exchanges and cooperation between the two militaries in logistics and medical support.
The exercise will run until late September, with more than 700 personnel from both sides participating.
"Set against the backdrop of post-super typhoon international humanitarian medical rescue, the exercise focuses on practical drills such as on-site search and rescue, mass casualty medical response, unmanned transfer of injured, and psychological stress intervention, further honing and enhancing the two militaries' medical support coordination and emergency response capabilities," said He Zhen, director general of the Chinese directorate for the exercise.
During the exercise, the two sides will also organize medical services and cultural exchange activities.
China-Laos "Peace Train-2026" joint exercise opens in Vientiane
