BEIJING, May 20 (Xinhua) -- China and Malaysia will jointly host a disaster relief drill later this month, attended by some 2,000 participants from members of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and international organizations, a spokesman announced on Wednesday.
Chinese State Councilor Wang Yong will be present at the fourth ARF disaster relief drill and visit Malaysia from May 24 to 28, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at a daily news briefing.
"This year's event is co-hosted by China and Malaysia and it will be the first time that China has organized a military and civilian disaster relief drill overseas," Hong said of the biennial exercise under the ARF framework.
More than 600 participants from China's ministries of foreign affairs, defense and civil affairs will attend the drill. The 2,000 participants will also include personnel from the ARF, ASEAN and UN, Hong said.
Founded in 1994, the ARF is a regional forum for security dialogue in Asia. The forum groups 27 countries including the 10 ASEAN member states and their dialogue partners.
J-11 fighters in air exercise
Beauties dancing on the rings
Attendants-to-be join Mr. & Miss Campus Contest
Beijing's toughest anti-smoking law takes effect
Family lives in cave for about 50 years in SW China
PLA soldiers operating vehicle-mounted guns in drill
Blind carpenter in E China's Jiangxi
China hosts overseas disaster relief exercise for the first time
20 pairs of twins who will become flight attendants in Sichuan
Obama is sowing discontent in S.China Sea
Rescuers work through night to reach cruise ship survivors
Driving through limbo
Facing down MERSDay|Week
