Foreign and Military Affairs

Chinese naval warships pay five-day visit to Egypt

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-07-26 19:34

ALEXANDRIA, Egypt - Two Chinese naval warships arrived in Egypt's Mediterranean port of Alexandria on Monday, kicking off a five-day visit to the north African nation.

The vessels, destroyer Guangzhou and frigate Chaohu, are part of the fifth Chinese naval escort flotilla, which just completed the escort mission in the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters to protect commercial ships from pirate attacks.

Zhang Wendan, commander of the visiting squad, said the visit is to further improve military exchange and cooperation between Chinese Navy and the navies of surrounding countries of the Somali waters.

Egyptian Navy Commodore Ahmed Abdul-Aziz, chief of staff of Alexandria navy base, expressed warm welcome for the Chinese warships.

Chinese ambassador to Egypt Wu Chunhua, Chinese Consul-General to Alexandria Liu Aizhong and representatives of overseas Chinese in Egypt attended the welcoming ceremony.

Zhang, who is also deputy chief of staff of the Chinese Navy's South Sea Fleet, presented a wreath at the Egyptian unnamed naval soldier memorial in Alexandria after the welcoming ceremony.

China's fifth naval escort flotilla with more than 800 officers and soldiers has successfully escorted 588 Chinese and foreign vessels in 41 batches since it arrived in the pirate-infested waters in early March this year.

The two warships will leave Egypt and continue their Mediterranean journey on Friday.