PHNOM PENH – More than 2,000 Cambodian and Chinese armed forces will take part in the annual Golden Dragon military exercises from May 14 to 28, with state-of-the-art weapons and machinery.

Golden Dragon 2025 is a priority of defense cooperation between Cambodia and China, as comprehensive strategic partners. This year's drill aims to exchange military experience, strengthen mutual security vision, and promote combat skills against terrorism.

Cambodia will send 1,331 personnel to join the drill, while 845 Chinese armed forces will use artillery, mortar vehicles, rubber-wheeled combat vehicles, C5 command cars, robot dogs, helicopters, combat ships, spy and combat drones, and small arms and light weapons, as well as medical equipment, explosive materials and ordnance.

Cambodian personnel will use artillery, tanks, ambulances, warships, helicopters and other weapons.

The exercises will be conducted at the Gendarmerie Training Center in Kampong Chhnang province and sea and air training in Preah Sihanouk province.

Cambodia and China first held joint military drills in 2016 but had to put them on hold for three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The drills resumed in 2023.

In 2017, Cambodia canceled the annual US-Cambodia military drill, called “the Angkor Sentinel Exercise,” citing the communal elections and the six-month campaign to combat drug and crime as reasons.

The US has always shown concerns over China gaining exclusive access to the newly modernized Ream Naval base. These concerns have often been dismissed by the government. A day after the inauguration of the expanded base, warships from Cambodia and China held a joint military drill at the base, including formation maneuvering.

Prime Minister Hun Manet expressed gratitude to China for its long-term support in Cambodia's defense development and hoped for continued technology and equipment support from China.