Two Chinese naval warships and two French warships ended a joint
maritime drill Tuesday afternoon off the coast of Qingdao, a port
city in east China's Shandong
Province.?
The two navies successfully conducted fleet formation changes,
fleet formation, shipboard helicopter flying and landing at sea,
replenishment exercises at sea, communications and
search-and-rescue exercises in the one-day drill.
China's guided missile destroyer "Harbin" and fuel tanker
"Hongze Lake" as well as French anti-submarine-warfare destroyer
"Latouche-Treville" and light frigate "Commandant Birot" played the
main roles in the maritime exercises. Two shipboard helicopters
also joined the drills.
Ju Xinchun, captain of the destroyer "Harbin", said the
Chinese navy hoped to learn from the French navy experience in
coordination skills in joint military exercises.
The exercises, jointly directed by Zhang Panhong, chief of the
General Staff of the North China Sea Fleet of the People's
Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, and Louis De Contenson, navy commander
of the French Pacific Military Region, lasted about eight hours and
involved about 700 seamen.
Zhang said the joint drill would help enhance understanding and
friendship between the two navies.
On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of
Sino-French diplomatic ties, the joint maritime exercises would
play a role in enhancing understanding and promoting trust between
the two navies so as to strengthen friendly cooperative relations
between the two countries, said Alain Christienne, captain of the
French destroyer "Latouche-Treville".
The joint drill is so far the largest of this kind held by the
Chinese and any foreign navy, sources with North China Sea Fleet of
the PLA Navy said.
The French warships left for Singapore after the maritime drill
with the Chinese navy.
(Xinhua News Agency March 17, 2004)
