China and seven members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) have held their largest-ever joint maritime rescue exercise, signaling a lull in South China Sea tensions.
BEIJING — China and seven members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) have held their largest-ever joint maritime rescue exercise, signaling a lull in South China Sea tensions.
The drill on Tuesday simulated a collision between a Chinese passenger ship and a Cambodian cargo vessel off China’s Guangdong province.
The exercise involved about 1,000 rescuers aboard 20 ships and three helicopters, according to reports in Chinese state media late Tuesday.
Vietnam absent
China, Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Brunei took part, with Vietnam notably absent.
The exercise followed meetings between the Chinese and Singaporean defense ministers on the sidelines of the 11th Asean Defense Ministers’ Meeting in the Philippines last month.
