The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's minesweeper hunter Chishui departs from the Changi Naval Base for the sea phase of the China-Singapore Exercise Maritime Cooperation 2025 on May 14, 2025. Photo: Screenshot from the Weibo account of China Bugle, an official media account affiliated with the PLA news media center

The Chinese and Singaporean navies will hold the "Maritime Cooperation-2026" joint exercise in the sea and airspace near Zhanjiang, South China's Guangdong Province in early September, according to China's Ministry of National Defense on Thursday.

The drills will include live-fire shooting, underway replenishment and joint search and rescue operations. The exercise aims to further enhance mutual trust between the two sides, promote practical cooperation and strengthen their ability to jointly safeguard regional peace and stability.

Prior to this, China and Singapore have held four "Maritime Cooperation" joint naval exercises. In 2015, the two countries conducted their first bilateral naval exercise under the name "Maritime Cooperation-2015." Since then, the two navies have established a routine mechanism of alternating hosts, with the scale and influence of the exercises steadily growing.

The China-Singapore Exercise Cooperation-2025 joint maritime exercise is being held in the Changi Naval Base and in the waters and airspace to the east of Singapore from May 9 to 16 in 2025, according to China's Ministry of National Defense.

The exercise consisted of three phases: in-port exchanges, at-sea drills and a closing ceremony. The at-sea phase focused on joint surface strikes, underway replenishment, joint search and rescue, and boarding and inspection operations, said the Xinhua News Agency.

The guided-missile frigate PLANS Xuchang and the mine countermeasure vessel PLANS Chishui, together with the RSS (Republic of Singapore Ship) Steadfast-class frigate and the RSS Bedok-class mine countermeasure vessel, participated in the 2025 exercise.

Commenting on the announced drills for the "Maritime Cooperation-2026" exercise, Zhang Junshe, a military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Thursday that joint search and rescue holds significant practical importance. The South China Sea is a critical international shipping artery where sea lanes converge and maritime traffic is dense. The area's complex hydrometeorological conditions make natural disasters and maritime emergencies a recurring reality.

Under the search and rescue responsibility zones designated by the International Maritime Organization, both China and Singapore have maritime rescue obligations in relevant areas of the South China Sea, and their naval forces accordingly bear these responsibilities, Zhang said.

Live-fire shooting and underway replenishment focus on enhancing each navy's operational capabilities: live-fire drills help vessels hone their actual weapons employment skills, while underway replenishment tests and improves sustained support capabilities for far-sea operations, said Zhang.

Zhang said the "Maritime Cooperation" exercise carries dual significance. First, it deepens mutual trust and cooperation. Joint exercises are a tangible expression of the two militaries' efforts to enhance mutual understanding, consolidate traditional friendship and build strategic trust. Through high-level maritime joint drills, both sides further deepen trust and lay a solid foundation for practical military cooperation. 

Second, it improves joint response capabilities. The exercises help strengthen the two sides' practical ability to jointly address maritime security challenges and maintain regional peace and stability, the expert said.

In addition to the regular "Maritime Cooperation" joint exercises with Singapore, China also conducts routine joint drills and training with neighboring countries including Thailand, Cambodia and Laos.