The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy Task Force 83, comprising the training ship Qijiguang and the amphibious dock landing ship Kunlunshan, set sail on Monday from a military port in Zhanjiang, South China’s Guangdong Province, with over 900 naval cadets and crew members aboard, continuing its far-sea comprehensive training and visit mission, China’s Ministry of National Defense said on Tuesday.
The cadets participating in the mission are primarily from the PLA Navy Dalian Naval Academy. Nine foreign naval officers from countries including South Korea, Vietnam and Bangladesh will train alongside their Chinese counterparts in integrated formations throughout the mission, said the report.
The mission aims to comprehensively enhance the naval cadets’ navigation skills, operational awareness and overall professionalism through far-sea practice, laying a solid foundation for their future naval careers.
During the voyage, the formation will organize systematic training in subjects including terrestrial navigation, celestial navigation, marine hydrological observation, shipboard training and management, and war-gaming exercises. There will also be on-site instructions and special lectures tailored to the characteristics of the sea areas along the route. While docked at foreign ports, the formation will host deck receptions, visits and other friendly exchange activities, the report said.
Previously, cadets from the Naval University of Engineering and the Naval Submarine Academy, along with several foreign officers, had successfully completed the earlier phase of the far-sea training mission aboard the Task Force 83, with visits to Russia and Vietnam, the report said.
PLA Navy Task Force 83 arrived at the port of Vladivostok on June 23, starting a four-day goodwill visit to Russia. More than 200 people, including staff members from the Chinese Consulate General in Vladivostok, representatives of local Chinese community, as well as officers and soldiers from Russia’s Pacific Fleet, welcomed the fleet at the dock, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
Then the Task Force 83 arrived in Vietnam’s southern hub Ho Chi Minh City on July 5 for a four-day goodwill visit, according to the Ministry of National Defense.
The integrated training model that brings together Chinese and foreign cadets holds value in helping young officers build cross-cultural understanding and trust, fostering substantive mutual trust and laying a foundation for future practical cooperation in areas such as maritime security coordination and joint search and rescue, Wang Yunfei, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times.
Wang also said that the task force’s combination of a training ship and a dock landing ship sends a signal different from that of destroyers. While destroyers represent combat power, the pairing of a training ship and an amphibious vessel conveys openness, cooperation and talent cultivation.
A training ship carries an educational connotation, making its visits more likely to be perceived as a peaceful, goodwill mission rather than a show of force. The inclusion of a dock landing ship also demonstrates the Chinese Navy’s multi-mission capabilities in areas such as far-sea power projection, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, Wang said.
This combination, accompanied by a range of exchange activities, not only helps shape an image of the Chinese Navy that is open, transparent and professional, but also fosters a more relaxed atmosphere for bilateral military relations, Wang added.
The Qijiguang, hull number 83, is currently the largest and most modernized specialized training ship independently developed by China. Designed primarily for naval academy cadets and personnel to conduct maritime internship training, it is known as the “floating university at sea” of the PLA Navy. Since its commissioning in February 2017, the Qijiguang has sailed across four continents and three oceans, visiting nearly 30 countries and regions including Portugal, Italy, New Zealand and Vietnam, according to the China Bugle, an official media account affiliated with the PLA news media center.
The Kunlunshan, hull number 998, is the lead ship of the Type 071 comprehensive amphibious landing ship class. It was launched in December 2006 and officially commissioned into the PLA Navy in January 2008, serving as a landmark platform for the PLA’s amphibious forces transitioning from near-sea to blue-water operations, said China Bugle.
