China, Thailand start joint military exercise

SATTAHIP, Thailand, May 21 -- Thai and Chinese marine corps held an opening ceremony for a joint military exercise codenamed Blue Strike 2016 here on Saturday.

The opening ceremony, held at Sattahip Naval Base, Chon Buri province, was presided over by Royal Thai Navy Fleet Commander Naris Prathumsuwan and Wang Hai, deputy commander of Chinese Navy.

The joint exercise includes joint training at sea and on land, evacuating people from conflict-affected areas and disaster relief in counter-terrorism occasions.

Wang said the drill manifests the perseverance and ability of marine corps from both countries in counter-terrorism and maintaining peace in the region and the world.

Naris said the drill would help boost the long-standing relationship between Thailand and China and the exercise was aimed at increasing cooperation between the two forces by sharing practical knowledge and experiences.

The military drill is the third one of its kind, following the Blue Strike 2010 and Blue Strike 2012 joint training exercises.

During the opening ceremony, marines also gave performances as a way of exchange. Chinese marines presented kung fu while their Thai counterparts performed Muay Thai.

Sattahip Naval Base, where the headquarters of Royal Thai Marine corps is located, is the biggest naval base in Thailand.