Published on 12:00 AM, September 03, 2019
news in brief
US, Asean kick off first joint naval drills
Afp, Bangkok
The United States and ten Southeast Asian countries kicked off maritime drills yesterday, as part of a joint exercise extending into the flashpoint South China Sea with eight warships, four aircraft and more than a thousand personnel. The first Asean-US Maritime Exercise (AUMX) between the regional bloc and Washington will last for five days, starting at the Sattahip Naval Base in Thailand and ending in Singapore. The drills come at a time of stepped-up US engagement in the region and tensions between Beijing and Southeast Asian nations over the South China Sea.
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