International Warships Dock in China for Multinational Drill

China will host ships from seven countries these days ahead of the exercise “Sea Cooperation 2014”, according to the Times of India.

The Indian Navy’s warship INS Shivalik arrived in one of the 10 busiest ports in the world, the Chinese Port of Qingdao, on Sunday 20th April. This is the second time that the Indian Navy’s warship INS Shivalik is visiting China as she had visited Shanghai last year.

For the first time ever, Indian and Pakistan navies will jointly participate in an international exercise, as reported by sources.

Participants in the exercise are China, Pakistan, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Brunei, India with 12 ships, as the Global times writes.

Chinese fleet will include Guided missile destroyer Harbin, Frigate Yantai , Frigate Linyi, Frigate Huludao, Supply vessel Hongzehu, Hospital ship Peace Ark followed with foreign ships Indonesia navy landing ship KRI Banjarmasin (592), Brunei patrol vessel KBD Darulaman (07), Singapore navy frigate RSS Formidable (68), Malaysia navy ship KD Kasturi (F25), Pakistan navy ship PNS Shamsheer (252), Bangladesh navy missile frigate BNS Abu Bakr (F15).

Chinese naval spokesman said that China did not invite Japan to take part in the exercise, amid rising tensions between the two countries and weakened bilateral ties.

After completing the two-day exercise on Thursday 24th, some of the foreign ships may leave Qingdao directly while other ships will return to the port for replenishment and rest.

[mappress]
Press Release, April 21, 2014; Image: Wikimedia