China has said it will send two warships to Cambodia and East Timor from the first half of May to mid-June, potentially further unnerving the United States over concerns about growing Chinese presence at a key Cambodian naval base.
The Chinese defence ministry said in a statement that it will send its largest naval training ship Qijiguang along with a giant amphibious warfare ship Jinggangshan to the two countries for training with local naval cadets to enhance mutual trust between their navies.
Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping is due to meet Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban today, with the war in Ukraine and infrastructure projects high on the agenda, as he makes his third stop on his first European tour in five years.
Hungary’s foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said at a briefing earlier in the week that Ukraine will be high on the agenda during the talks, as both countries mark their 75th year of diplomatic relations.
A 16 to 18 new cooperation agreements is also expected to be signed, one of which could be a large-scale infrastructure project within China’s huge Belt and Road project.
