By Li Mingyu and Lin Fei
WELLINGTON, Oct. 28 (ChinaMil) -- The Chinese naval training ship Qi Jiguang (Hull 83), which is conducting the ocean-going training and nation-visiting mission, arrived in Wellington, capital of New Zealand on October 26, for a four-day goodwill visit to New Zealand. This is the first time that Ship Qi Jiguang has visited New Zealand after it's commissioned and also that a Chinese naval training ship has visited Wellington.
At about 10 a.m., the ship Qi Jiguang slowly docked at the No. 5 berth of Wellington Harbour. Over 200 personnel, senior officials and representatives from both the Chinese Embassy in New Zealand and the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) attended the welcoming ceremony. Then Wang Genhua, charge d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in New Zealand, and others boarded the ship for a tour.
During the port call, Rear Admiral Yu Wenbing, head of the PLA naval maritime commanding group, will make courtesy call on Air Vice-Marshal Tony Davies, Vice Chief of New Zealand Defense Force (NZDF), and Rear Admiral David Proctor, Chief of the RNZN. The visiting officers and soldiers of the PLA will also take a tour at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand for exchanges. Besides, there will be a deck reception onboard the training ship, which will be open to the New Zealand military, local citizens, overseas Chinese and representatives from Chinese institutions.
The Chinese naval training ship Qi Jiguang has just headed for New Zealand after its goodwill visit to Papua New Guinea. Before leaving Port Moresby, capital of Papua New Guinea, two Japanese and two New Zealand military officers boarded the ship to join the training of sailing skills, and work as probationary watches. Till now, the four foreign military officers have successfully ended their training and disembarked at Wellington Harbour. This is the first time that the Chinese naval training ship Qi Jiguang has undertaken training mission with foreign military officers involved since its commission.