China naval vessel makes port call

HIROSHIMA (Kyodo) A Chinese naval training vessel with some 360 crew members on board called Thursday at the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Etajima port in Hiroshima Prefecture.

Best behavior: Chinese naval officer candidates muster at Etajima port in Hiroshima on Wednesday with the Zhenghe, their training vessel, in the background. KYODO PHOTO

The crew of the 5,470-ton Zhenghe, including naval officer candidates, are expected to visit sites including the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum during their visit through Monday.

It is the second Japanese port call made by a Chinese naval vessel since November 2007.

In June 2008, a Japanese destroyer carrying aid supplies for earthquake survivors in Sichuan docked at a port in southern China, making the first port call there by a Japanese warship since the end of World War II.

The port calls have been interpreted as a sign that Japanese-Chinese defense exchanges are entering a new phase. The visit by the MSDF vessel reciprocated one made by a Chinese warship in November 2007.

In August, however, the warming ties between the MSDF and the People's Liberation Army Navy seemed to cool somewhat after China refused to allow three MSDF ships to dock in Hong Kong.

The incident occurred because Beijing was upset about Tokyo issuing a visa to Rebiya Kadeer, leader of the World Uyghur Congress, allowing her to visit Japan.

"We wanted to make a port call in Tokyo but ended up requesting to dock in Hiroshima out of consideration over the relationship between the two governments," a Chinese navy source explained.

The official reason for China's port call this time is to promote friendly ties between the two nations.

The Chinese crew members are scheduled to visit the Maritime Officer Candidate School in Etajima to socialize with MSDF officer candidates through various sports activities before moving to Kure, another MSDF port in Hiroshima Prefecture.