The destroyer "Guangzhou" (Hull Number 168) of the PLA Navy set sail for the sea waters off Pakistan at 17:00 on Feb.21 from Sanya City of Hainan Province to participate in the "Peace 09" multinational maritime military exercise.

　　The multinational maritime military exercise is initiated by the Pakistani Navy. Navies from 11 countries, including China, the U.S., the U.K., France, Japan and Turkey, will send their ships, aircraft and Marine Corps elements to participate in the exercise. And military observers from 20-odd countries, including Russia, Germany, Australia, Egypt and Indonesia will view the exercise.

　　To be held in the sea waters off Karachi in Pakistan from March 5 to 14, the multinational maritime military exercise is divided into two phases, namely the harbor and coastal exercise for Marine Corps and the real force maritime exercise.

　　The exercise mainly includes such items as maritime search-and-rescue exercise, anti-piracy operation and fleet formation defense. Helicopters and Marine Corps members will also make a show of themselves in some items.

　　In addition, a workshop on the international maritime safety will be held during the phase of harbor and coastal exercise.

　　The Chinese Navy sends a task force composed of the destroyer "Guangzhou" from the South China Sea Fleet (SCSF), a helicopter and 10 members of the Marine Corps to participate in this "Peace 09" exercise.

　　Chen Yueqi, a commander of a destroyer flotilla under the SCSF of PLA Navy, is appointed to be in charge of the task force that is composed of altogether 318 officers and men.

　　Through the exercise, the Chinese Navy aims to gain useful experience from foreign counterparts, strengthen its communication capacity, and learn how to cooperate with foreign navies in handling new threats and challenges at sea and maintain regional peace and stability.

　　The Chinese Navy, together with task forces from France, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States, attended a Pakistani Navy-initiated joint military exercise in March 2007.

　　On the afternoon of Feb. 20, an oath-taking and mobilization ceremony was held on the destroyer "Guangzhou".

　　At 16:30 on Feb. 21, the South China Sea Fleet of the PLA Navy held a seeing-off ceremony for the destroyer "Guangzhou" at a harbor in Sanya City.

　　By Zha Chunming and Dong Guozheng

　　(Feb. 23, PLA Daily)                                              Editor: Dong Zhaohui