(Bloomberg) -- Chinese military forces will participate in joint counter-terrorism exercises with Mozambique and Tanzania later this month, Ministry of National Defense spokesman Zhang Xiaogang said.
The land and sea drills will begin in late July and continue until mid-August, Zhang said in a statement published on a Chinese military website on Thursday.
“The exercise aims to enhance the participating troops’ capabilities in joint counter-terrorism operations, and deepen military mutual trust and practical cooperation,” Zhang said. “It will be conducive for the three countries to jointly preserve regional peace and stability.”
Mozambique and Tanzania both have ambitions to develop massive gas deposits discovered off the East African coast. Those plans have been disrupted in Mozambique by an Islamic State-backed insurgency that’s forced TotalEnergies SE to suspend development of a $20 billion liquefied natural gas project.
State-owned China National Petroleum Corp. is part of the Rovuma LNG joint venture with ExxonMobil Corp. and Eni SpA that plans an onshore production complex next to Total’s project. Chinese oil and gas producer CNOOC Ltd. in May signed contracts to explore five offshore blocks in the country.
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