The People’s Liberation Army garrison in Hong Kong conducted a joint exercise with the French military on March 3, 2018, for the first time with foreign forces. The drill was held outside local waters with the 2,600-ton, diesel propelled Vendémiaire and the PLA's warship, Qinzhou, a Type 056 corvette deployed for mid-range missions. The operation was to raise the defense capability of the troops stationed in Hong Kong. The drill included search and rescue operations as well as communication exercises.