China-Singapore to Hold "Maritime Cooperation-2026" Joint Exercise

[Global Times Report, Reporter Guo Yuandan] According to a message released by the Chinese Ministry of Defense on the 3rd, in early September, the navies of China and Singapore will hold the "Maritime Cooperation-2026" joint exercise in the maritime and airspace near Zhanjiang, Guangdong, organizing live-fire shooting, maritime resupply, joint search and rescue, and other training exercises.

Previously, China and Singapore have conducted four "China-Singapore Cooperation" maritime joint exercises. In 2015, China and Singapore held their first bilateral naval exercise codenamed "China-Singapore Cooperation-2015." Since then, the two countries have established a regular mechanism for alternating hosting of joint exercises, with the scale and influence of the exercises continuously expanding. The "China-Singapore Cooperation-2025" maritime joint exercise was inaugurated in May last year at the Changi Naval Base in Singapore. That exercise was divided into three phases: port exchange, maritime joint exercise, and closing summary. During the maritime joint exercise phase, both sides focused on training in areas such as joint maritime strikes, maritime resupply, joint search and rescue, and boarding and inspection operations.

According to reports, both sides dispatched four vessels to participate in the "China-Singapore Cooperation-2025" exercise. The Chinese participating vessels were the missile frigate Xuchang and the mine countermeasure vessel Chishui, while the Singaporean participating vessels were the RSS Persistence frigate and the RSS Endeavour mine countermeasure vessel.

When discussing the topics announced for the "Maritime Cooperation-2026" joint exercise, military expert Zhang Junsha told Global Times reporters that joint search and rescue has significant practical importance. The South China Sea is a crucial international shipping route, with intersecting shipping lanes and dense vessel traffic; the hydrological and meteorological conditions in this area are complex, and natural disasters and maritime emergencies occur frequently. According to the search and rescue responsibility areas defined by the International Maritime Organization, both China and Singapore have maritime search and rescue responsibilities in the relevant waters of the South China Sea, and thus their maritime forces bear corresponding search and rescue obligations. Live-fire shooting and maritime resupply focus on enhancing each side's naval operational capabilities: live-fire shooting helps hone the combat capabilities of vessels using actual weapons; maritime resupply tests and improves the sustained support level for operations in distant seas.     

Zhang Junsha believes that the "Maritime Cooperation-2026" joint exercise has dual significance. First, it deepens mutual trust and cooperation. Joint exercises are a direct reflection of the two militaries enhancing mutual understanding, consolidating traditional friendship, and building strategic trust. Through high-level maritime joint drills, both sides further deepen mutual trust, laying a solid foundation for practical cooperation between the two militaries. Second, it enhances the ability to respond jointly. The joint exercise helps strengthen both sides' practical capabilities to address maritime security challenges and maintain regional peace and stability.