Thayer Consultancy Background Briefing:

ABN # 65 648 097 123

Cambodia and China Hold 4th
Annual Joint Golden Dragon
Military Exercise
Carlyle A. Thayer
March 10, 2020
We are preparing a report on the joint Chinese-Cambodian military exercises that are
to take place on Saturday (14 March). We request your assessment of the following
issues:
Major international events have been cancelled because of the Coronavirus, but
Cambodia says it will conduct the 4th annual joint Golden Dragon military exercise
with China, in which 3,000 soldiers will participate, including 265 People’s Liberation
Army personnel.
Q1) Why do you think Cambodia has not cancelled this event? Is it because the actual
threat from the virus is low, because Cambodia wants to send out a signal of support
for China, a combination of the two, or something else?
ANSWER: Prime Minister Hun Sen wants to demonstrate that Cambodia is a reliable
strategic partner to China and in turn attract material support for his regime.
The decision to hold the fourth annual Golden Dragon joint military exercise is part of
a larger strategy of demonstrating support for China against criticism by the
international community over Beijing’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. Hun Sen
went to Beijing to meet President Xi Jin-ping in February to show solidarity. Cambodia
has also refrained from halting air flights from China.
Hun Sen has used his special relationship with Beijing to lobby for a resumption of
supplies for Cambodia’s garment industry. The outbreak of the Covid-19 led China to
halt production in some urban areas and this disrupted Cambodia’s supply chain.
At the same time, Cambodian officials, including Prime Minister Hun Sen, have
downplayed the threat of the Covid-19 virus. Cambodia permitted the Holland line
cruise ship Westerdam to dock. Hun Sen met with the passengers. Cambodian
government officials as late as 10 March have only acknowledged one case of Covid-
19 in Cambodia. This leaves open the question whether Cambodia has the capacity to
conduct effective surveillance and testing of persons who possibly contracted the
coronavirus.
Q2) Do other countries hold similar events together with China, and if so, are they also
sticking to the schedule?
ANSWER: According to China’s Defence White Paper 2019, it conducted the following
major (emphasis added) military exercises:
 2

Major Joint Exercises and Training by the PLA and

the PAP with Foreign Counterparts Since 2012
Peace and Friendship Joint
Malaysia
Military Exercises
Thailand Falcon Strike Joint Training
China-Vietnam Joint Naval
Vietnam
Patrols in the Beibu Gulf
Malaysia, Peace and Friendship 2018
Thailand Joint Military Exercise
ASEAN Maritime Exercise-2018
Tabletop exercise held in Malaysia in Dec.
2014; in Malaysia in Sept. 2015; in Malaysia in
Nov. 2016
Held in Thailand in Nov. 2015; in Thailand in
Aug. 2017; in Thailand in Sep. 2018
Held in the shared fishing zone in the Beibu
Gulf for 13 times from 2012 to 2018
Held in Malaysia in Oct. 2018 by militaries of
China, Malaysia and Thailand
Held in Zhanjiang and the maritime and air
space to the east in Oct. 2018

Source: China’s National Defense in the New Era (Beijing: State Council Information Office of the
People’s Republic of China, July 2019), Appendix, Table 6, 42-43.
It should be noted that Cambodia is omitted from this list.
An internet search of cancelled or postponed Chinese military exercises with
Southeast Asian states resulted in a nil return. In other words, given the small number
of major military exercises it may be too early to answer your question definitively.
In contrast to Cambodia, other Southeast Asian states are imposing medical checks on
Chinese citizens entering their country, especially tourists and businessmen, and
Chinese workers resident in their countries.
Q3) Putting Covid-19 aside, what is the general significance of these military exercises?
ANSWER: The general aim of joint military exercises is to promote bilateral person-to-
person relationships, mutual understanding, capacity building and interoperability.
The focus of Golden Dragon has been mainly on humanitarian assistance and counter-
terrorism. The first Golden Dragon exercise focused on humanitarian assistance and
disaster relief and included such activities as land mine detection and clearance,
emergency road repair and construction, medical treatment, and the provision of
potable water.
Subsequent exercises have included armour, live firing of rockets from helicopters,
and counter-terrorism serials. These exercises were held at the Techo Sen Chumkiri
live firing range in Kampot province.
Each Golden Dragon exercise has witnessed an expansion in numbers and scope of
activities. The first Golden Dragon exercise involved a total of nearly 1,000 personnel
with roughly half from each side. This year’s Golden Dragon exercise, to be held from
14 March-1 April, is expected to involve 3,000 troops including 265 Chinese soldiers.
This exercise will include armoured vehicles, tanks, mortars, artillery and helicopters.
Since 2017, Cambodia has stopped holding joint exercises with the United States and
Australia. The Golden Dragon exercise series demonstrates that Cambodia – and its
military in particular – is not isolated.
Q4) What does China gain out of holding an exercise at this time, and what does
Cambodia gain?
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ANSWER: China gains by demonstrating to the world that “all is normal” and foreign
militaries can continue to engage with China. China gains by reinforcing its relations
with the Cambodian government and military and thus ensures continued public
support for China in general and Chinese foreign policy in particular. This often takes
the form of Cambodia defending and promoting Chinese interests in the Association
of Southeast Asian Nations. In short, Cambodia has become the “poster boy” for
China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Cambodia gains by demonstrating it cannot be isolated internationally or pressured
into accepting conditionality on sensitive issues such as democracy promotion and
human rights. Cambodia also gains by demonstrating that China continues to support
its military.
Golden Dragon is not the only joint military exercise between Cambodia and China.
Their two navies have held bilateral exercises focused on search and rescue at sea and
maritime emergencies.

Suggested citation: Carlyle A. Thayer, “Cambodia and China Hold 4th Annual Joint
Golden Dragon Military Exercise,” Thayer Consultancy Background Brief, March 10,
2020. All background briefs are posted on Scribd.com (search for Thayer). To remove
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Thayer Consultancy provides political analysis of current regional security issues and
other research support to selected clients. Thayer Consultancy was officially
registered as a small business in Australia in 2002.