The British Navy held an official ceremony Monday in this southern
England port city to welcome the two Chinese naval ships and 530
Chinese sailors that arrived Britain on Sunday for a four-day
goodwill visit.
The ceremony was held at 0930 GMT with a guard from the British
navy's Ark Royal ship and the Band of British Royal Marine.
The British Naval Portsmouth Base Commander, Commodore Paul
Boissier and Rear Admiral Wu Fuchun, the Chinese Chief of Staff of
East Sea Fleet who headed the Chinese Flotilla to visit Britain,
attended the ceremony.
The flotilla of the guided missile destroyer Shenzhen and the
supply ship Feng Cang were escorted into the harbor by the British
Navy frigate Richmond on Sunday morning and was greeted by hundreds
of Chinese Embassy staff and other people of Chinese origin and a
lion dance.
This visit is the first ever to Britain by warships of the People's
Republic of China.
During their four-day stay, the Chinese sailors will take part in a
ceremonial parade with sailors from the British naval ship Ark
Royal, also in the presence of Commodore Paul Boissier and Rear
Admiral Wu Fuchun.
The Chinese soldiers and their British counterparts are scheduled
to hold a series of exchange activities, including football and
basketball matches. The naval military band on board the Chinese
ships will perform for the local people on Monday afternoon.
A
British Navy staff told Xinhua that the visit will not be all work
no play for the Chinese soldiers, who will also have chance to look
round Portsmouth, the famous British port city in the history and
also currently.
Britain is the second leg of the Chinese flotilla's four-nation
Europe tour, which will also bring them to France and Italy. They
came to Britain after ending their goodwill visit to Germany last
Friday.
The Chinese ships' visit to Britain is a return visit by a British
fleet's very successful visit to China last June.
This is the first time for Chinese naval ships to visit Europe.
(People's Daily 10/02/2001)