China-Thailand joint military exercises have ‘all elements needed for a small-scale war’
- Analysts say this year’s joint force exercises enter ‘new dimension’ with special forces role
China has revealed details of its joint military exercises with Thailand, which involve the use of special forces for the first time and have been described as containing “all the elements needed for a small-scale war”.
CCTV said the exercises, which run until August 29, would cover elements such as cross-border support, force deployment, joint air defence, deterrence and debriefing.
It said the exercises involved the use of special forces, warplanes and helicopters to “beef up military cooperation and address shared security challenges”, and that commanders on both sides were confident it would improve their troops’ tactical and technical skills.
Fu Qianshao, a military analyst and former PLA officer, said it was a “significant change with far-reaching implications”.
“The five-stage exercises … are all the elements needed for a small-scale war,” Fu added.
