Chinese navy vessel sails for ROK, Japan

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-10-26 21:38

DALIAN: The "Zhenghe" training vessel of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy left Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Monday for visits to the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Japan.

At the invitation of the ROK's navy and Japan's maritime self-defence force, the vessel is scheduled to visit the ROK's port of Chinhae and Japan's port of Kure from October 29 to November 2, and November 5 to 9 respectively, according to the schedule.

Two cadets from an institute under Japan's maritime self-defence force were on board the vessel to receive training with their Chinese counterparts, said Rear-Admiral Liu Yi, the PLA Navy's deputy chief of staff, who will lead the vessel.

This was the first time for foreign cadets to take part in the whole course of navigation training on a Chinese navy vessel, according to Liu.

Of nearly 370 people on board the vessel, 230, including 16 female, are cadets from four academies under the PLA Navy. They will have a variety of professional exchanges with their ROK and Japanese counterparts respectively, according to Liu.

During the visits, four Chinese navy students will get the opportunity to receive training in academies of the ROK's navy and Japan's maritime self-defence force for two or three days, he said.

The visiting ship "Zhenghe" was named after a Chinese maritime explorer who sailed overseas about 600 years ago. Dubbed "a mobile college on the sea", the vessel was put into service 22 years ago and has sailed for a total of more than 280,000 nautical miles.

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