A Chinese naval training ship arrived in Manila on Wednesday for a “goodwill visit,” China’s ambassador to the Philippines said, making its final stop in a tour of Southeast Asian countries amid high tensions over the South China Sea, which Beijing largely claims as its territory.
The port call was the first by a Chinese naval vessel since 2019, when three ships of the People’s Liberation Army Navy Escort Task Group 539 paid a goodwill visit to the Southeast Asian country, according to the Philippine Navy.
The navy said earlier this week it would host the Qi Jiguang “with the customary and usual accommodation it renders to all visiting navies,” fulfilling its diplomatic role and promoting naval cooperation.
The 165-metre-long Qi Jiguang, China’s most advanced naval training vessel, visited Vietnam, Thailand and Brunei before arriving in the Philippines, the Chinese Embassy said.
In the port of Manila, the vessel was welcomed by a Chinese diplomat, members of the Filipino-Chinese community and reporters who were allowed to take a quick look onboard the ship.
Chinese Navy Rear Admiral Su Yinsheng and Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian greet Chinese nationals upon the arrival of the Chinese naval training ship “Qi Jiguang” at the Port of Manila for a four-day goodwill visit, in Manila, the Philippines, on Wednesday. (Photo: AFP)
A brochure distributed at the ship’s arrival ceremony said the Qi Jiguang’s port visits were meant to “spread peace and friendship” and “deepen mutual trust and exchange.”
The Chinese ship’s visit until Saturday came a week after the Philippines hosted the first trilateral exercise with the coast guards of Japan and the United States. The maritime drill was seen as an effort among allies to step up cooperation against China’s growing aggressiveness in the South China Sea.
Beijing continues to reject a 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling in The Hague, invalidating its sweeping claim of the maritime territory. Brunei, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan lay claim to parts of the South China Sea.
Source : BangkokPost