In News:

In May 2025, Cambodia and China launched their largest-ever edition of the annual Golden Dragon military exercise, featuring coordinated land, sea, and air operations. This drill underscores deepening military and strategic cooperation between the two countries amidst shifting geopolitical alignments in Southeast Asia.

About Golden Dragon Exercise:

• Inception: Initiated in 2016, Golden Dragon is a bilateral military exercise between China and Cambodia.
• Objective: Strengthens defence ties, capacity building, and joint operational readiness.
• 2025 Theme: Focuses on joint counter-terrorism operations and humanitarian relief efforts, projecting it as a peace-oriented and technologically advanced drill.

Key Highlights

• Venue: Conducted at Ream Naval Base, located on Cambodia’s southern coast near Sihanoukville.
• Military Domains: Involves exercises across land, sea, and air.
• Technological Showcase:
  • Reconnaissance and attack drones
  • Surgical robots
  • Robot dogs
• These technologies highlight an evolution toward AI-driven and robotic warfare capabilities.

Strategic and Geopolitical Significance:

• Ream Naval Base Expansion:
  • China has funded upgrades to this naval base, raising concerns about possible dual-use military capabilities and Beijing's expanding naval footprint in the Gulf of Thailand.
  • Cambodia denies hosting any exclusive foreign military presence but allows docking of ships from friendly nations, including recent arrivals from Japan, Vietnam, and China.
• China-Cambodia Relations:
  • Cambodia is considered China’s closest ally in Southeast Asia.
  • China is a major economic and military benefactor, with growing influence in Cambodian infrastructure and defence.
• Counterbalance to U.S. Influence:
  • The drill coincides with the U.S.-led Balikatan exercise, which includes forces from the U.S., Philippines, Australia, and Japan.
  • Reflects the strategic competition between China and the U.S. in the Indo-Pacific region.
• “String of Pearls” Strategy:
  • China’s involvement in ports like Ream (Cambodia), Hambantota (Sri Lanka), and Gwadar (Pakistan) reflects its strategy to establish logistical and strategic outposts across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).