From Navy Region Hawaii Public Affairs
<< In this U.S. Navy file photo, sailors aboard the Chinese People's Liberation Army-Navy destroyer Qingdao (DDG 113) wave as the ship departs Pearl Harbor following a routine port visit in September 2006.
PEARL HARBOR - Three People's Liberation Army-Navy [PLA(N)] ships will stop at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam as part of a routine port visit Sept. 6-9.
The ships visiting Hawaii are Qingdao (DDG 118), a Luhu -class destroyer; Linyi (FFG 547), a Jiangkai-class frigate; and Hongzehu (AOR 881), a Fuqing-class fleet oiler. Foreign navy ships come to Pearl Harbor-Hickam regularly for scheduled port visits. Other ships that have come to Hawaii this year include the British destroyer Daring, Australian frigate Perth, and Japanese ships Shimokita, Atago, and Hyuga.
As part of a planned series of military-to-military exchanges between the two nations, Adm. Cecil Haney, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, visited China this past May in conjunction with a port visit by USS Shiloh (CG 67) at Zhanjiang, China. During this reciprocal port visit to Pearl Harbor-Hickam, the Chinese ships will be hosted by USS Lake Erie (CG 70). Over the weekend, Chinese and U.S. leaders will conduct dialogues to build confidence and mutual understanding between the two nations. This routine port visit will give Chinese sailors an opportunity to interact with their U.S. counterparts.
The capstone of the port visit will be a one-day search-and-rescue (SAR) drill on Monday, Sept. 9 that will highlight the ability of the two nations to cooperate and communicate at sea.
The last port visit by PLA(N) ships to Pearl Harbor-Hickam was in September 2006 by the Qingdao and Hongzehu. This port visit is part of the U.S. Navy's ongoing effort to maximize opportunities for developing relationships with foreign navies as a tool to build trust, encourage multilateral cooperation, enhance transparency, and avoid miscalculation in the Pacific.