China joins Australia’s largest maritime drill

SYDNEY: China is participating for the first time in Australia’s largest maritime exercise as more than 3,000 personnel from 27 countries engage in joint training off the strategic northern port of Darwin.

Exercise Kakadu is hosting 23 ships and submarines from across the Indo-Pacific region, enabling them to establish familiarity which helps to prevent conflict on the high seas and to coordinate disaster relief efforts.

Commander Anita Sellick of the Australian frigate HMAS Newcastle said two Royal Australian Navy sailors were accepted onto China’s naval frigate Huangshan during the 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,” Sellick said on Saturday.

Commander of the Australian Fleet, Rear Admiral Jonathan Mead, said on Friday that there were mutual benefits in building understanding and trust during the exercise.

The joint military practice, which will continue until Saturday, is supported by the Royal Australian Air Force and involves 21 aircraft.

Integrating the People’s Liberation Army Navy into the biennial training with American, Australian, New Zealand and Canadian forces for the first time has given China an opportunity to improve its working relationship with those countries, which has been tense at times.