While thousands of events are canceled worldwide and countries go into lockdowns, Cambodia and China hold their annual Golden Dragon military exercise in what observers describe as a move to demonstrate close ties with China.
Some 260 troops of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and about 2,700 hosting forces of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) participate in the drills in Chum Kiri district in Kampot province, the Cambodian Defense Ministry said during a press briefing in March. The two countries kicked off their live-fire exercise on March 15, with the closing ceremony scheduled for March 30.
Chinese authorities say the number of new coronavirus cases in China has been brought to nearly a complete halt at the end of March, and Beijing this past week sent medical equipment alongside seven medical experts and four military medical specialists to support the fight against the coronavirus in Cambodia.
