Chinese Navy Ships End Good-Will Visit to CanadaThe Chinese navy task group of missile destroyer "Qingdao" and supporting vessel "Tai Cang" ended their four-day good-will visit Friday to Canada's Pacific military base at Esquimalt, British Columbia.Saying farewell at the dockyard, Canadian Rear-Admiral R.D. Buck and his Chinese counterpart Lu Fangqiu hugged each other to express warm relationship between the two navies. Hundreds of Canadian military officers and men were among well-wishers seeing off the first visiting Chinese navy ships. "The visit is successful. We have enhanced friendship, widened our vision, enriched Chinese sailors and officers' experience and stood a test to our equipment," said Chinese Real Admiral Lu Fangqiu before departure. Canadian Rear-Admiral Buck termed the Chinese ships and morale as "impressive". "They demonstrate truly the capability of a growing navy. And this is of course evidence by their visit to us from across the Pacific," he said. "I anticipate there will be continued good-will exchanges such as this visit," he added. During their stay, the Chinese visitors conferred a Qingdao Friendship Award on retired Canadian navy sailor Glenn Tewnion, who saved the life of a Chinese woman while visiting the Chinese city of Qingdao in June 1988. The Chinese and Canadian officers and men also conducted a number of other good-will activities ranging from a football match to a joint military training event. The voyage of 14,000 nautical miles had also carried the Chinese ships to U.S. navy bases in Hawaii and Seattle. |
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