1st PLAN Visit to Japan

Finn McCool

Captain
Registered Member
China warship makes 1st visit to Japan By ERIC TALMADGE, Associated Press Writer
37 minutes ago



TOKYO - A Chinese warship dropped anchor off Tokyo on Wednesday for the communist nation's first military visit to Japan since World War II, in a highly symbolic display of improving ties between the two Asian giants.

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The port call by the guided missile destroyer Shenzhen was part of a mutual exchange that will bring a Japanese warship on a visit to China at a later date. It was the first visit ever to Japan by Communist China's People's Liberation Army.

The Chinese ship arrived under heavy security with a Japanese destroyer as its escort and a half dozen helicopters buzzing the sky.

On board, a navy band played "Anchors Away," while a cheering section of Chinese well-wishers brought by bus by the embassy waved Chinese flags and performed a lion dance.

During its four-day stay, the Shenzhen will be opened to the Japanese public for tours. It will also dock at the Japanese naval headquarters in Yokosuka, just south of the capital, before returning to its home base in the southern Chinese port of Zhanjiang.

Diplomatic relations between Japan and China, two nations which are increasingly vying for economic and political clout in the region, have visibly improved over the past year.

Ties hit a low two years ago over territorial disputes and Japanese leaders' visits to a Tokyo war shrine, which many Chinese saw as inflammatory. But both sides have toned down their rhetoric and agreed to expand political and military exchanges.

China said before the Shenzhen departed for the trip that it hoped the call would "have a positive effect on the development of the relationship between the two countries and their defense departments."

Still, distrust between Beijing and Tokyo runs deep, particularly in military issues.

Japan's brutal invasion and occupation of much of China in the 1930s and 1940s have left a legacy of bitterness, one that Beijing has occasionally stoked to cater to nationalist sentiments.

Japanese officials, meanwhile, have repeatedly expressed concerns about China's surging military spending in recent years, calling for more transparency.

Japan and its top ally, the United States, are especially concerned with China's growing naval capabilities and its development of submarines that can operate farther away from China's shores for longer periods.

Washington, which has some 50,000 troops based in Japan, sees China's military growth as a potentially destabilizing factor in Asia.

Beijing last week deeply embarrassed the U.S. by refusing to allow the USS Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier and its battle group entry into the port of Hong Kong.

The Kitty Hawk is home-ported in Japan.

This is definatley a good step. This wouldn't have happened just a few years ago, so even though the JMSDF and the PLAN are "strategic competitors" visits like this help to keep tensions from rising.

Sino-Japanese relations have been improving lately, possibly as a result of the end of the Koizumi era (I'm not really sure, I don't know enough about Japanese politics. Does Abe visit Yakusuni also?)
 

crobato

Colonel
VIP Professional
Abe did not visit the Yakusuni shrine, and that did help a lot despite Abe being a "right wing' faction. His successor Fukuda helped things further by refusing to see the Dalai Lama who just visited Japan.

The Shenzhen is a show boat. Just recently it was in a complete mess after a possible boiler room accident. They certainly fixed it and cleaned it up in a jiffy for the occasion.
 

crobato

Colonel
VIP Professional
Its the one they use for visits to other countries. A bit modern enough so its not too shabby to look at, but not too advanced to show the PLAN's latest toys. Other show boats include the 112 and 113, and the 168 had to be used for the occasion when 167 was down.
 

bd popeye

The Last Jedi
VIP Professional
Here are some pictures of the blessed event! This is really a good sign for all of Asia. Let us hope that a spirit of co-opertion will prevail between these nations.

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The Chinese navy's Rear Admiral Xiao Xinnian (2nd R) from the guided missile destroyer Shenzhen inspects Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force (MSDF) destroyer Ikazuchi at Harumi pier in Tokyo November 28, 2007. The warship arrived in Tokyo on Wednesday for the first such port call since World War Two, in the latest sign of warming ties between the Asian neighbours and former foes

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A Chinese resident in Japan waves the national flags of China and Japan as Chinese naval missile destroyer Shenzhen docks at Harumi pier in Tokyo November 28, 2007. The warship arrived in Tokyo on Wednesday for the first such port call since World War Two, in the latest sign of warming ties between the Asian neighbours and former foes

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Vice chief of staff of the South China Sea Fleet of the PLA Navy, Rear Admiral Xiao Xinnian from the guided missile destroyer 'Shenzhen' (2nd L) is welcomed by hundreds of Chinese residents and Japanese troops while arriving at the Tokyo port, 28 November 2007. Welcomed by hundreds of Chinese residents and Japanese troops, the Chinese warship made a port of call for the first time since World War II in the latest effort between the Asian giants to repair ties

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Chinese vice chief of staff of the South China Sea Fleet of the PLA Navy, Rear Admiral Xiao Xinnian from the guided missile destroyer 'Shenzhen' (R), receives a bouquet of flowers upon arriving at the Tokyo port, 28 November 2007.
 
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