The Deputy Head of the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) Contingent for the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief and Military Medicine Exercise (HADR & MM Ex), Senior Colonel Wu Xihua, the Deputy Chief of the Emergency Office, General Staff HQs, PLA said in an interview for Royal Brunei Ministry of Defence that in support of the ADMM Plus multinational exercise, the PRC contingent has sent 110 personnel that are grouped into various teams.
The teams include a 50-person engineering team, a 35-person medical team, and 25 command and staff officers. The Senior Colonel also confirmed that the list of equipment contributed by PRC includes mechanized bridge vehicles, medical cabin vehicles, other large engineering and medical equipment. Other special equipment includes water purification, lifesaving and epidemic prevention units.
In addition to this, Senior Colonel Wu Xinhua also stated that the PLA Navy’s large hospital ship “PEACE ARK” will also participate in the exercise during a port call to Brunei Darussalam, which is expected to arrive on 15 June 2013.
During the interview, Senior Colonel Wu Xinhua also praised the tremendous effort made by the host nation, Brunei Darussalam, into organizing this multi-national joint exercise and commended on the professionalism and dedication of the host.
Senior Colonel Wu Xinhua also highlighted that PRC has been engaged in the whole preparation process for the multinational exercise and assured that PRC will continue to provide support to Brunei Darussalam. In addition to this, he stated that PRC has also cooperated closely and forged a very good working relationship with other participants in the exercise.
He also stated that to be part of this joint exercise demonstrates PRC active participation in regional security cooperation. He pointed out that PRC remains hopeful in improving China’s capability in non-war operations through this HADR & MM exercise, and at the same time, promoting pragmatic cooperation between PRC and other member countries of the ADMM Plus mechanism, so as to enhance their joint capability in meeting non-traditional security challenges.
[mappress] Press Release, June 13, 2013; Image: Brunei MoD