South China Sea: Chinese naval training ship in Vietnam on goodwill visit amid Spratlys tensions
- Dalian Naval Academy ship greeted in Da Nang by local government and military officials as well as Chinese representatives, China’s state media says
- The Qi Jiguang is on a 40-day tour that will also take in other South China Sea claimants Brunei and the Philippines, according to the Chinese navy
The Qi Jiguang, a training vessel of the Dalian Naval Academy, arrived in Da Nang on Tuesday morning. It was welcomed by local government and military representatives, as well as Chinese diplomats and employees of Chinese enterprises, China’s state media reported.
The officers and sailors on board will carry out two days of goodwill exchanges with local hosts, including onshore visits, receptions and banquets, and friendly sports games. The ship will also host open sessions for the Vietnamese military, the public and Chinese business staff, China’s state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The visit comes not long after a stand-off between Chinese and Vietnamese ships near the Vanguard Bank, the westernmost reef in the South China Sea’s resource-rich Spratly Islands claimed by both countries.
The confrontation was triggered by Vietnam’s plans to expand oil drilling operations in the area, according to Chinese social media account South China Sea Wave.
Beijing claims most of the South China Sea under its self-declared “nine-dash line”, covering a vast area where Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei have overlapping claims. Each claimant now occupies some islands and reefs in the busy waterway, and incidents over fishing rights as well as oil and gas development are frequently reported.
