First China-Vietnam joint army training kicks off in South China’s Guangxi
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202507/1339057.shtml
By Liu Xuanzun and Guo Yuandan Published: Jul 23, 2025 02:43 PM
The
first-ever China-Vietnam joint army training kicked off at a training
base in South China on Tuesday, official media reported on Wednesday. A
Chinese expert said the joint training will contribute to the safeguard
of peace and stability in the region.
The opening ceremony for
the joint army training was held in South China’s Guangxi Zhuang
Autonomous Region, the military channel of China Central Television
reported on Wednesday.
The training will focus on four key areas:
joint reconnaissance, joint strikes, joint rescue, and joint support.
It will be conducted in a mixed-unit format, with modularized exercises
covering eight courses, including camouflage reconnaissance, drone
reconnaissance, and live-fire shooting.
After the opening
ceremony, the Vietnamese personnel participating in the training were
given a tour to observe various types of Chinese weapons and equipment,
including wheeled vehicles, light weapons and drones.
The Chinese
Defense Ministry first announced the joint army training on Sunday.
According to its statement, the event is themed around joint border
patrol trainings, and aims to enhance mutual learning and exchange of
border patrol experiences while further deepening pragmatic cooperation
between the two militaries. It is scheduled to last until late July.
Zhang
Junshe, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times that
the joint army training between the Chinese and Vietnamese armies is an
important move to deepen pragmatic cooperation between the two
countries’ militaries.
It shows that areas of cooperation between
the Chinese and Vietnamese militaries are continuing to expand, further
enhancing mutual understanding and traditional friendship between the
two armed forces, the expert said. He noted that the join training holds
significant positive implications for maintaining peace and stability
along the two countries’ borders as well as in the whole region.
China and Vietnam have been boosting military ties over recent years.
Zhang
Xiaogang, a Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson, said at a media
briefing in April that in recent years, the Chinese and Vietnamese
militaries have enhanced their long-standing friendship featuring
“camaraderie plus brotherhood”.
The two sides have maintained
frequent high-level engagements, established a “3+3” strategic dialogue
on diplomacy, defense and public security, conducted joint
counter-terrorism exercises, organized activities such as border defense
friendship exchanges, joint patrols in the Beibu Gulf, and young
military officer exchanges, the spokesperson said, adding that the
military-to-military relations have achieved high-level and steady
development.
PLAN is visiting Vietnam again, more signs of a changing time
Photos of DDG 173 Changsha and and Type 071 LPD 999 Jinggangshan
ships of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy visiting Da Nang,
Vietnam (link) (link)
Photo Collecton Of The Day: Sailing Back To Cam Ranh Bay
PANO
– On September 10, sailing vessel Po Lang (coded 86) with 95 officers,
sailors and cadets led by Captain Liu Kue Wu, Second-in-Command of the
training vessel unit of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy,
docked at Cam Ranh International Port, starting a courtesy visit to
Khanh Hoa province.
Senior
Captain Truong Dang Thuan, Chief of the Office of the Vietnam Naval
Academy, hosted the reception. The event saw the attendance of
representatives of the Department of Foreign Affairs of Khanh Hoa
province and several functional agencies, representatives of the Chinese
Embassy in Vietnam and Chinese Defense Attaché to Vietnam.
Sailing vessel Po Lang docks at Cam Ranh International Port, Khanh Hoa province.
During
the four-day visit, the commanding staff of Vessel Po Lang will pay
courtesy visits on leaders of the Khanh Hoa provincial People’s
Committee, Naval Region 4 Command, and Vietnam Naval Academy. Meanwhile,
the Chinese officers, sailors and cadets will attend sports
competitions with troops of the Vietnam Naval Academy and visit the
Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense’s functional units.
Vietnam’s Cam Ranh Bay Naval Base, Tales Of Two Visits
On July 15th, 2024, the US Navy’s 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) visited Vietnam’s Cam Ranh Bay (link).
Along with other USN visits in that region, it was accompanied by media
coverage and, of course, OpEd speculation across the spectrum. (link) (link) (link)
Following the general secretary of the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam’s visit to China (link) on August 18th, the PLAN paid a visit to the same Cam Ranh Bay (link)
It was accompanied by little or no fanfare, as were earlier PLAN
visits in that region; it has “It was another Tuesday” feel to it.
Those two nations take different approaches to their military foreign affairs, that’s for sure.
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| 2x 07LPD and 1x Type 052D DDG 174 Hefei at Cam Ranh Bay |
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