Zhenghe, the Chinese Navy training ship, carrying 308 sailors, cast anchor at the port city of Taranto, Italy on Thursday making a fifth stop on her 30,000 nautical mile journey, Xinhua reported.
The ship will be staying in a five- day visit which will include meeting with provincial and municipal officials as well as those from the Taranto Naval Command. In addition to holding of a joint navigation and passage exercise with the DDG “Doria” of the Italian Navy, visits to the Italian Navy vessels and training facilities are included in the visit’s agenda as well.
Moreover, the ship’s crew, which comprises of 110 cadets from the Dalian Naval Academy, will join their Italian counterparts in sports games.
As Liao Shining, the ship’s commander, explained, the visit is aimed at promoting mutual cooperation and strengthening military ties between the two navies.
The five-month global voyage of the Chinese ship started in mid-April from China’s northeastern port city of Dalian and it will entail port calls to 11 countries and working visits to three countries.
[mappress]
Naval Today Staff, June 4, 2012