ASEAN and China will conduct joint military exercises at sea to promote regional peace, similar to last October.

"We agreed to conduct a second sea drill. However, we have not discussed in detail when and where the event will take place," Malaysia's Defense Minister Mohamad Sabu told reporters. in Bangkok on November 17, on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting (ADMM +).

"Joint naval exercise is another attempt by ASEAN and China to ensure peace and stability in the region," he added. Asked if the drill would become an annual event, Mohamad said that this had not been decided.

ASEAN and China last October for the first time conducted joint naval exercises in the waters off Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province, China, focusing on offshore search and rescue.

In a meeting of ASEAN ministers this morning, Defense Minister Ngo Xuan Lich emphasized a number of regional issues that are facing, typically the competition between major countries in the region - which brings advantages. But at the same time poses no small challenges. He said that ASEAN countries should proactively and actively promote intra-regional solidarity and expand cooperation with the outside.

The Defense Minister said that in order for the South China Sea to become a stable, stable sea of sustainable development, the prerequisite is international law and international standards, especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. 1982 (UNCLOS 1982), must be respected.

ASEAN ministers also met with Chinese, Japanese and American counterparts, discussing regional defense and security cooperation.