China and U.S. together in Australia’s defense drill
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The 2018 version of the large-scale biennial drill, dubbed Exercise Kakadu, kicked off on Saturday, hosting 23 ships and submarines from countries located across the Indo-Pacific region.
The drill’s declared aim is to enable participant nations to develop awareness in helping prevent conflict on the high seas and coordinate disaster relief efforts.
Two Royal Australian Navy sailors were accepted onto China’s naval frigate Huangshan during the multinational drill.
“Two of our Australian navy sailors are across actually, right now in the Chinese ship. So they’ve both been able to integrate within each other’s navy and learn a little bit of what life is like for them today in Exercise Kakadu,” Commander Anita Sellick of the Australian frigate HMAS Newcastle told Reuters.
Integrating the People’s Liberation Army Navy into the military drill — with forces from the United States, Canada, and New Zealand — for the first time would be an opportunity for the countries and Beijing to improve their working relationships, which have been tense at times.
The joint military exercise, which will continue until September 15, is supported by the Royal Australian Air Force and involves 21 aircraft.
The participating countries in Exercise Kakadu 2018 are China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Cook Islands, Fiji, France, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, East Timor, Tonga, the United Arab Emirates, the U.S., Australia, and Vietnam. ■