MANILA, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine Navy will send a military transport ship to participate in the upcoming ASEAN-China maritime military exercises, a navy spokesman said on Tuesday.

Philippine Navy spokesman Jonathan Zata said the navy ship BRP Dagupan City, with 300 sailors on board, will leave for China on Wednesday morning from a naval base in Cavite City in the northern Philippines.

According to China's Ministry of National Defense, China will hold maritime military exercises with ASEAN countries in October in the waters off the city of Zhanjiang, south China's Guangdong province.

Zata said the maritime military exercises "aim to promote military exchanges and cooperation" between the navies of the 10-member ASEAN and China.

The ASEAN-China maritime military exercises will focus on "maritime safety and search and rescue at sea with emphasis on the use of Code of Unplanned Encounter at Sea," Zata added.

ASEAN or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, found in 1967, groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

China is a dialogue partner of ASEAN.