Chinese Navy vessels arrived in Piraeus, Greece, yesterday morning for a four-day visit.
During their stay, Fleet Commander Rear Admiral Zhang Chuanshu will meet with Greek President Karolos Papoulias and the Hellenic Navy Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Evangelos Apostolakis.
Also, the amphibious landing ship Changbai Shan will host a reception commemorating the Chinese Lunar New Year, or the Spring Festival, on its deck. According to Xinhua, the Chinese fleet is scheduled to brief on the Chinese Navy’s escort mission in the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somalia.
Following the visit, the Chinese and Hellenic Navies will engage in joint training before the Chinese fleet heads back home.
China has paid goodwill visits to Greece before, in 2002 and 2010.
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Naval Today Staff, Image: Dutch Ministry of Defence