By Xu Wei, Liu Yong and Wang Guixian
SHANGHAI, Jan. 15 (ChinaMil) -- The global training vessel fleet from the Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy arrived at the Wusong Military Port in Shanghai, China on Monday morning and started its four-day friendly visit.
The naval fleet, led by Brigadier General Lee Su-youl, is consisted of the Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin-class guided-missile destroyer (DDG-975) and the supply ship ROKS Daecheong (AOE-58) from the ROK Navy.
According to sources, it is the second visit of DDG-975 destroyer and the sixth visit of the ROK naval vessels to Shanghai. There are 650 officers and soldiers on board vessels, including 58 officers, 149 cadets and 443 soldiers.
At 10 o’clock on Monday morning, a welcome ceremony for the visiting fleet was held at a naval port of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command. After the ceremony, some senior officers of the ROK Navy visited the Chinese escort ship guided-missile destroyer Xi'an (Hull 153) and met with Rear Admiral Feng Ruisheng, the political commissar of the naval base. In addition, the Chinese side held a welcome reception with cultural performances for the visiting ROK naval fleet in the evening.
During this visit, the two sides’ sailors will visit each other’s warships and hold friendly football matches. The South Korean side will hold a deck reception for cultural shows. The officers and soldier of the ROK Navy will also visit the Former Site of Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai, the Oriental Pearl Radio & TV Tower, the Shanghai City Planning Exhibition Hall, the Yu Garden (or Yuyuan Garden), and the Mei Garden (or Plum Garden) as scheduled.
After the visit, the ROK naval fleet and the Chinese guided-missile destroyer Xi’an (Hull 153) will conduct joint maritime exercise in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES), covering some main subjects such as communication verification and formation movement.
It is known that the ROK naval fleet berthed at the Port of Papeete Tahiti (French Polynesia) prior to the visit to Shanghai, and its next stop will return to the Port of Chinhae (Jinhae), South Korea.
