China has sent five ships for RIMPAC, the largest multinational naval exercise in the world currently underway. Led by the guided missile destroyer, the Xi'an, the Chinese fleet represents the rapid modernization of the navy relying on Chinese design and technology.
Pearl harbor is an American base but this corner of it is all China. The first thing that hits you about the Chinese ships is how new they are: The Xi'an has only been in service about a year, and this class of destroyer is the first with a fully long range air defense capability. The captain is honored by his leadership role.
"Command ship of all the fleet, China navy fleet, I am very proud of this," said Commander of Xi'an Xu Kai.
But perhaps the piece of kit the Chinese are most proud of is this: a submarine rescue vehicle this can actually rescue sailors at a depth of half a kilometer under the sea; it is going to be part of an exercise with the U.S. to hone the skills of both navies should a disaster happen to any submarine in the pacific rim.
"I think it's a chance for our to show our ability, for submarine rescue; it's a way for us to study a lot of information from international navies and also a chance for us to show," said Zhu Yusheng, Officer on Changdao .
This submarine rescue vessel the Changdao is also very new, entering service in 2013. That is the same year the Gaoyouhu supply ship entered service; its captain Wan Lim has had multiple missions resupplying Chinese ships on U.N. anti piracy patrols off the Gulf of Aden. As China's commitments grow, more ships like this, which provide everything from fuel to food, will be needed.
Completing the Chinese fleet in Hawaii the missile frigate Hengshui, again just a few years old, and the one ship here that was at the last RIMPAC two years ago is the hospital ship the peace ark, complete with rescue pods, operating theaters and an intensive care unit, the center piece of China's humanitarian and rescue capabilities.
The big gun on the deck of the Xi'an leads this group of five ships and is the epitome of a modernization of the Chinese navy that is well underway and what it is capable of at RIMPAC 2016 in the 21st century.
