5-day China-Singapore maritime exercise concludes

By Anadolu Staff

ANKARA (AA) – The 5-day joint military exercise between China and Singapore concluded on Monday, their first combined drills since 2021, amid heightened tensions in the South China Sea.

Billed as "China-Singapore Exercise Maritime Cooperation 2023," the drills concluded with the guided missile frigate Yulin and the minesweeper hunter Chibi finishing nearly 10 themes of maneuvers together with warships from Singapore, China's English Daily Global Times reported on Tuesday.

Participated by the naval personnel from both the Republic of Singapore Navy and People's Liberation Army Navy, the drill comprised both ashore and sea phases.

It included emergency repairs to stop flooding into the damaged hull of a ship, helicopter cross-deck landing, gunnery firing as well as search and rescue operations.

It was the second exercise in the series since its inception in 2015.

In 2021, the two navies held a combined military drill in international waters at the southern tip of the South China Sea.

China and the Philippines have counter-claims in the disputed South China Sea, which has seen persistent tensions between maritime neighbors.

Beijing claims roughly 90% of the sea, which encompasses an area of around 3.5 million square kilometers (1.4 million square miles).