China for the first time joins the US navy-sponsored Rim of the Pacific Exercise, or RIMPAC, which was started in 1971 and is held every two years.

This year's RIMPAC exercise, the 24th in a series, is scheduled to run from June 26 until August 1. A total of 23 nations, 49 surface ships, six submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel will participate.

Navy spokesperson Liang Yang said that Chinese forces will send a missile destroyer, a missile frigate, a supply ship, a hospital ship and two vessel-carried helicopters, a special battle force and a diving force to the drill.

During the five-week drill, the Chinese navy will take part in cannon firing exercises, maritime security actions, maritime warship exercises, military medicine exchanges, humanitarian aid and disaster reduction, as well as diving drills.

	Haikou missile destroyer Haikou, the Navy's latest destroyer, is one of two Type 052C destroyers. Built by Jiangnan Shipyard in 2003, the vessel is 155.5 meters long and 17.2 meters wide. Its maximum displacement reaches 6,800 tons and has a maximum speed of 30 knots. Haikou is equipped with China's first generation phased-array radar and a vertically launched long-range air defense missile system. Type 052C destroyers provide the Navy with China's first true aerial defense capability.
	Yueyang missile frigate The type 054A Yueyang is a multi-purpose missile frigate designed and developed in China. It is 130 meters long and 16 meters wide. Its maximum displacement is more than 4,000 tons. The missile frigate is able to conduct independent or coordinated attacks on enemy warships and submarines, and has strong long-range detection and air defense capabilities.2
	Qiandaohu supply ship Qiandaohu is a second generation comprehensive supply ship designed and developed in China. It is 171.4 meters long and 24.6 meters wide, with the maximum displacement 23,000 tons. Qiandaohu is able to supply more than two vessels at the same time.
	Peace Ark hospital ship The Peace Ark is the world’s first professional hospital ship built weighing more than 10, 000 tons.

Global Times:

RIMPAC exercise an opportunity for both sides to learn from each other
Obviously there will be disputes and controversies between China and the US, but both of them are hoping to establish effective mechanisms to manage crises as well as a corresponding coordinating program on many issues. The US army has recognized during these years that the repeated twists and turns in Sino-US military ties have largely dampened the normal development of their bilateral relations.

Joint military exercise creates room for ties
The scale of cooperation between China and the US, as well as the vigilance they maintain toward each other, are both unprecedented. The two are meeting mounting challenges and will face up to them. For a long time in the future, China will still be weaker than the US. We should insist on our own interests and become strategically tolerant about frictions between the two. As bilateral relations move forward, both will have more comprehension and moderation.

Joint drill milestone in Sino-US relations
The Pacific Ocean in the future will be an arena for multilateral competition and cooperation. Nonetheless, Asian security must be ensured by Asian nations and we must refrain from binding China's security to the US wagon. Regional cooperative mechanisms and strategic mutual trust can play a vital role in this connection.

Xinhua:

China's RIMPAC debut "leap of trust": Asia expert
China's debut in the world's largest naval exercise is a "leap of trust" as it teams with the United States and US allies at a time of heightened regional tension over territorial disputes, a leading Australian Asia expert said on Friday.

 RIMPAC drill signals China-US trust building
The exercise demonstrates China's initiative in contributing to regional security.

Regional stability entails trust building efforts by both China and the United States. However, it should also be noted that the way to building mutual trust, which is so important for bilateral ties, has not been smooth due to disturbance from the US side.

Zhang Junshe, a researcher at the PLA Naval Military Studies Research Institute:
Zhang said this is a good chance for the outside world to better understand the Chinese navy.

"China has sent its newest and best warships to engage in face-to-face exchanges. It will enhance the transparency of the Chinese navy, and help reduce 'China threat' accusations."

What is even more important is that the exchanges will reduce the chances for the two countries to misunderstand each other or make the wrong decisions in tense situations, Zhang said.

Song Zhongping, a military affairs commentator:
Song said that the US invitation to China indicated that Washington hopes to observe and evaluate China's naval capability in this drill.

"China's agreement of participation shows its confidence in its naval capability and increasing transparency in military buildup," Song said, adding that the ships in the Chinese fleet are among the most advanced of their kind.

China's fleet participating in RIMPAC drill arrived at Pearl Harbor

Highlights of Rim of the Pacific naval drill

Chinese navy to join 2014 RIMPAC naval drill

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