Sino-Malaysian military drill a success

Exercise Aman Youyi 2016, or Peace and Friendship 2016, a China-Malaysia joint military exercise with a theme of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, successfully concluded in the Paya Indah Wetlands in Selangor, Malaysia, on Friday.

Li Weiya, director-general of the Central Military Commission Joint Staff Department's Strategic and Campaign Training Bureau, said at a news conference following the closing ceremony that he expects the exercise to be repeated next year.

"The exercise is an important platform for mutual learning and exchanges between the two armies," he said. "It has played a significant role in strengthening ties between the two countries and armies, and promoting regional peace and stability," he said.

Members of the Chinese People's Liberation Army learned jungle tracking and survival techniques from Malaysian forces in the past few days, while the Malaysian Armed Forces learned skills related to combat, jungle warfare and indoor shooting in urban areas from China, Li said.

"Malaysia features vast areas of rainforest and its forces are very experienced in jungle tracking and survival. They are also interested in the equipment and techniques of the Chinese special forces," he said.

In addition, art troops from the PLA's Hong Kong Garrison provided three artistic performances for all participants of the exercise as part of cultural exchanges, which were warmly welcomed, Li said.

The exercise, the third joint military exercise between China and Malaysia, involved about 300 members from the two sides.

"The exercise was a success," said Lieutenant General Dato' Fadzil bin Mokhtar, of the Malaysian Armed Forces. "The two sides have been able to work together as a team, despite cultural and language differences," he said.

"Bilateral or multilateral cooperation is better for coping with disasters than a single country dealing with such issues alone."

Akhtar Puranesh Kumar, a doctor from the Malaysian Armed Forces, whose duty was to provide medical assistance to the China-Malaysia joint forces, said his medical team provided three ambulances for the exercise, but that nobody was injured during the four-day event.

"This is the first time I have taken part in a military exercise with China's PLA," he said. "This is a good opportunity for us to exchange knowledge and information. I hope I can take part in a similar exercise again."