Chinese Navy ship to visit Manila

MANILA, Philippines — For the first time in four years, a ship from China’s Navy will arrive in the country on June 14, the Chinese embassy announced yesterday.

The naval training ship Qi Jiguang, independently designed and built by China, will dock at Manila’s South Harbor for a “goodwill port visit.”

“It is 163 meters long, 22 meters wide, has a full load displacement of more than 9,000 tons and has a maximum speed of 22 knots, which can meet the requirements for wind resistance of grade 12,” the embassy said.

The military is set to have a welcome ceremony but details of the event have yet to be released.

The vessel has paid a visit to Vietnam, Thailand and Brunei before the Philippines, the embassy said.

Three Chinese Navy warships arrived in Manila for a four-day goodwill visit in January 2019.

In 2017, two Chinese guided missile frigates and a replenishment ship docked at Sasa Wharf in Davao City.