Chinese troops in anti-terrorist joint drill in Cambodia.

On 12 February, 216 soldiers of the Chinese 75th Combined Corps, Southern Theater Command, departed from Kunming, capital city of southwest China's Yunnan province, for Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia, to participate in a joint anti-terrorism training.

Soldiers of the Chinese 75th Combined Corps are to take part to a joint training in Cambodia (Picture source: jz.81.cn/Photo by Zhang Yiju)

The 17-day joint training between the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) dubbed “Golden Dragon 2018” is to be held in Kampong Speu province of Cambodia (south of Phnom Penh) from March 15 to 31. There will be two themes for this joint training: anti-terrorism and humanitarian rescue. The Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) will commit 280 soldiers to the joint training.

The Chinese contingent are bringing more than 40 sets of equipment including infantry fighting vehicles, rotor unmanned reconnaissance aircraft and transport helicopters.

The joint training, as an important activity in the exchange program between the Chinese and Cambodian armies in 2018, is of great significance for deepening state and military exchange and cooperation between the two countries. Since 1973 when King Norodom Sihanouk was ousted by CIA-backed Lon Nol, thus even before the terrible Khmer-Rouge period (1975-1979), China was already a strong ally for some Cambodian factions. And even now, while Prime Minister Hun Sen – the strong man in power in the kingdom almost since the Vietnamese army ousted the Khmer Rouge in January 1979 – is more and more internally and internationally criticized for his grip on the country, China is often called for various kinds of assistance.

The participating troops from the two countries will carry on training of such professional subjects as anti-terror equipment operating, light weapons live-fire practice, unarmed wrestle, simulated airborne landing, penetrating maneuver, man hunting and searching.