The armed forces of China and Malaysia will resume the series of joint exercises from the middle of October 2025. According to the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, the program, named “Peace and Friendship-2025”, will be held in Malaysia and its adjacent waters.
Within the framework of this project, the history of military cooperation between China and Malaysia began in 2014. The exercises were primarily focused on joint search and rescue and humanitarian aid.
In 2018, the 4th “Peace and Friendship” initiative was conducted in an expanded format, where, in addition to China and Malaysia, Thailand was also involved in the training. In 2023, the program expanded even further, as Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam also participated in the joint exercises.
The exercises are usually focused on non-warfare operations (Military Operations Other Than War – MOOTW), for example, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and counter-terrorism.
It is important that other ASEAN member states will also be invited as observers to the announced 6th “Peace and Friendship” initiative.
The initiative aims to strengthen practical cooperation between the militaries of China and Southeast Asian nations, improve their ability to jointly respond to non-traditional security threats, and maintain regional peace and stability.
