Reply to Media Queries on Conduct of Exercise Maritime Cooperation between RSN and PLAN

The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) conducts regular bilateral and multilateral exercises with foreign navies as part of its ongoing effort to enhance mutual trust and cooperation with other countries.

These include the second edition of the Exercise Maritime Cooperation, which the RSN will be conducting with the People's Liberation Army (Navy) [PLA(N)] from 28 April to 1 May 2023^[1]. The exercise will involve the RSN's Formidable-class frigate RSS Intrepid, Bedok-class Mine Countermeasure Vessel RSS Punggol, the PLA(N)'s Jiangkai II-class frigate (Yulin) and Wozang-class Minesweeper (Chibi). The exercise will comprise both shore and sea phases.

The exercise underscores the warm and friendly bilateral defence relations between Singapore and China, and enhances mutual trust, understanding and people-to-people ties between the SAF and PLA. Besides bilateral exercises, the two armed forces also interact regularly through high-level exchanges, mutual visits, cross-attendance of courses and port calls.

[1]] The resumption of Exercise Maritime Cooperation in 2023, which was inaugurated in 2015, was announced following Minister for Defence Ng Eng Hen’s visit to China in November 2022. A smaller scale passage exercise (PASSEX) between PLAN and RSN was conducted in 2021.