A major eight-day military exercise between Cambodian and Chinese troops will commence today at the Thlok Tasek Military Institute in Kampong Speu’s Phnom Sruoch district.

Code named “Golden Dragon”, the manoeuvres will see soldiers from the two countries participating in myriad exercises including emergency road repairs and construction, landmine detection and destruction, natural disaster medical treatment, dam building and flood relief.

“The Chinese side will send 97 personnel, mainly from the army troops of the People’s Liberation Army Southern Theater Command . . . the Cambodian side will send 280 personnel,” Yang Yujin, spokesman for China’s Defence Ministry, said earlier this month.

“The joint exercise is aimed at strengthening bilateral coordination and cooperation in joint humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations,” Yang added.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a Cambodian senior military official said the exercise “will not use any real bullets”. Defence Ministry spokesman Chhum Socheat could not be reached yesterday.