The Royal Thai Air Force this month hold its first joint exercise with its Chinese counterpart, China's Defence Ministry said on Wednesday, in another sign of the regime’s increased engagement with Beijing.
The "Falcon Strike 2015" drills will take place at the Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base from Nov 12-30, China's Defence Ministry said in a short statement.
"The aim of this joint exercise is to increase mutual learning and understanding between the two countries' air forces, deepen Sino-Thai practical cooperation and increase mutual trust and friendship," it said, without elaborating.
Since last year's coup, Thailand, a traditional ally of the United States, has sought to improve ties with neighbours. It stepped up engagement with China, as Beijing increases its influence in the region with a raft of loans and aid for infrastructure.
China has rattled nerves in Southeast Asia with its increasingly assertive acts in the South China Sea, where China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei all have competing territorial claims.
A summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' defence ministers last week, attended by both the United States and China, failed to produce a final statement because the delegations could not agree on whether to mention the South China Sea dispute.