BANGKOK, Thailand, Sept. 9 (ChinaMil) -- Initiated by the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) Experts' Working Group on Counter-Terrorism, the table-top exercise (TTX)was held at the Center for Strategic Studies, Royal Thai Armed Forces on September 2, 2019. After three days of group discussion, exchange and joint operations, the table-top exercise showcased the results on September 5.

The exercise was jointly organized by co-chair countries China and Thailand, with more than 100 people from 18 countries and institutions including the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus and the ASEAN Center of Military Medicine (ACMM) in attendance. China sent more than 30 staff officers to participate.

According to Tian Kunpeng, Chinese deputy commanding officer of the joint directing department and the bureau chief of the Joint Staff Headquarters under the Southern Theater Command, the exercise was composed of two stages: 1) exchanges of counter-terrorist experience and academic discussions, and 2) the implementation of the exercise.

In the first stage, all participants carried out group discussions and got familiar with contingency scenario based on “Anti-terrorism experience and lessons learned in urban areas of the Philippines” and “Standard Operating Procedures for Urban Action Planning of the Anti-Terrorism Task Force”. In the second stage, each task group analyzed the operating conditions and formulated relevant action and support plans. After all these were done, issues and difficulties occurred during the exercise were discussed and provided with solutions and suggestions for future development.

Chen Mintian, commanding officer of the Chinese team and assistant chief of staff with the China’s Southern Theater Command, said that the exercise further enhanced exchanges and cooperation among ASEAN member states, dialogue countries and the ACMM, as well as their ability to deal with regional terrorist threats.

Upon successful completion of the table-top exercise, the Chinese delegation returned home on September 7.