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China, Vietnam agree to live-fire drills in naval exercise boost
Agreement between naval commanders ahead of 40th joint exercise comes as Vietnamese leader To Lam hails ties with China as ‘top priority’
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The navies of China and Vietnam have added live-fire drills to future joint training – marking a deepening of military cooperation as Vietnamese Communist Party chief To Lam hailed relations with Beijing as a “top priority”.
Naval commanders from both sides held a courtesy meeting on Monday at Fangcheng port in southern China’s Guangxi, as Vietnamese frigates Tran Hung Dao (hull number 015) and Ly Thai To (012) arrived to join PLA Navy vessels for their 40th joint patrol and training exercise.
According to the state-run Voice of Vietnam, the two navies agreed to expand their joint exercises to include live-fire drills with light weapons – as part of an anti-piracy training module.
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The decision marks a naval first for the two countries after years of joint training.
In contrast, last July’s first-ever joint army training between China and Vietnam included live-fire shooting in an exercise involving reconnaissance, fire strikes and rescue and logistic support by ground troops.
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The latest joint naval patrol and training exercise was announced by the Chinese defence ministry on Sunday.
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