C3F Hosts Chinese Chief of Naval Operations Counterpart Visit

Commander, U.S. Third Fleet (C3F) hosted the Commander of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy [PLA(N)], Adm. Wu Shengli, and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert at C3F headquarters Sept. 9.

This was the first scheduled stop during a visit to San Diego-based Pacific Fleet units. Greenert and Wu also visited USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) and USS Jefferson City (SSN 759) in port before embarking USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) at sea. Wu will also visit U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton before traveling with Greenert to Washington, D.C.

During the visit to C3F, Wu had an opportunity to receive an update on planning for the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, the world’s largest international maritime exercise held biennially in and around Hawaii, from Vice Adm. Kenneth E. Floyd, Third Fleet commander, who will lead the exercise.

Earlier this year, the PLA(N) accepted an invitation to participate in RIMPAC for the first time in 2014, which will include more than 20 nations.

“We want [PLA(N)] participation in RIMPAC to be as successful as possible, and a building block to future cooperation,” said Greenert.

The visit of Adm. Wu to the U.S. coincides with the Sept. 6, arrival of three ships from the PLA(N) at Pearl Harbor marking their first port visit to the U.S. since 2006. Wu last visited the U.S. as a guest of previous CNO Adm. Mike Mullen in 2007.

This counterpart visit by the leaders of the U.S. Navy and China’s Navy is intended to help establish clear paths of communication, encourage transparency and trust, mitigate risks, and focus multilateral cooperative efforts to address common regional and global security challenges.

Joint interagency and international relationships strengthen C3F’s ability to respond to crises and protect the collective maritime interests of the U.S. and its allies and partners.

[mappress]
Press Release, September 10, 2013; Image: US Navy