Chinese navy training vessel visits India for friendship

Chinese Navy training vessel "Zhenghe" arrived at India's Kochin Port Wednesday, starting a four-day good will visit to the country.

Hanging both Indian and Chinese national flags, the People's Liberation Army (PLA)'s ocean-going training ship slowly entered Kochin Port in south western India along the Arabian Sea at around 10 a.m. local time.

The warship is named after the great Chinese navigator Zhenghe who had come to Kochin six times more than 600 years ago. The city of Kochin is still famous for its Chinese fishing net, reflecting the deep historic link between China and India. The Cochin Shipyard is now the largest ship-building as well as maintenance facility in India, building India's first indigenous aircraft carrier.

With the upbeat music performed by the navy band of both countries, Chinese Ambassador to India Zhang Yan, Chinese defense attache Cai Ping and representatives from the Indian Navy welcomed the warship.

The commander of the warship, Liao Shining, deputy chief of staff of the PLA navy, said the main purpose of the visit is to promote the ideal of "a harmonious world and a harmonious ocean," as well as strengthen the friendship and cooperation between the two countries and the two navies.

During the visit, senior Chinese officials will call on Indian Chief of Staff of the Southern Naval Command Rear Admiral S.Y. Srikhande, who is officiating as chief of the command in the absence of Vice-Admiral K.N. Sushil.

The Chinese naval personnel aboard the visiting ship will also drop in at the Indian Southern Naval Command's Navigation and Direction School and the Indian Navy's newly-inducted sail training ship INS Sudarshini.

Meanwhile, the Chinese training vessel will open to the Indian navy for visit and will host dinner on the deck.

Naval cadets of the two countries will hold friendly football and volleyball matches. A joint performance of naval bands will also be staged.

The Chinese vessel had taken on board Indian Naval Sea Cadet David Veeravalli at Malaysia as a goodwill gesture.

"I enjoyed the friendly interaction and navigation training during the nine days on the Chinese training vessel," he told Xinhua before getting off the ship at the end his trip on board.

India is the third leg of the ship's global goodwill voyage, with more than 300 sailors, including 110 students from the Dalian Naval Academy on board.

It is also the second visits to India by the vessel and the fifth visit of a Chinese navy warship to India.

On the voyage around the world that covers more than 30,000 nautical miles, the Chinese navy training vessel is scheduled to visit ports in 11 countries, including Vietnam, Italy, Spain, Canada, Ecuador, Indonesia and Brunei, besides India.