Chinese warships’ visit to the United States in 1997

In the first half of 1997, Chinese naval ship formations appeared in Southeast Asia and the Americas, setting off a "Chinese warship craze" internationally. The Chinese Navy also dispatched two fleets of ships to visit three countries in Southeast Asia and four countries in the Americas. Wherever they go, people are captivated by the grace of the Chinese Navy.

March 22, 1997 Beijing time (21st US Eastern Time) was an extraordinary day for the Chinese Navy. On this day, a Chinese naval fleet consisting of the guided missile destroyer "Harbin", the guided missile destroyer "Zhuhai" and the comprehensive supply ship "Nancang" arrived in San Diego, the "Naval City" of the United States.

The naval fleet’s visit to the United States this time covered a range of 8,000 nautical miles and a sailing time of nearly one month (this visit to four American countries lasted for *** four months), and it had to cross strong winds, waves, and The Pacific Ocean is subject to severe weather at any time, which is a test for both the various indicators of Chinese naval vessels and the quality and skills of naval officers and soldiers.

The naval officers and soldiers participating in the visit all know in their hearts that for the honor of the motherland and the great trust of the people, this visit can only succeed and cannot fail!

The Chinese Navy is indeed a force with excellent foundation. During the more than 20-day voyage, the ship undulated in the Pacific Ocean, where the water and sky were the same color, and the winds and waves were strong. Although the officers and soldiers were a little more physically exhausted, their hearts were filled with great pride. The naval warship faced sea winds of level 7 or 8 and waves of 5 or 6 meters high. Under the command of the formation commander, Lieutenant General Wang Yongguo, the officers and soldiers were in their respective positions, performing their duties and operating carefully to ensure the safety of navigation. The advanced automated command system and other complete and sophisticated equipment equipped on the ship ensure foolproof navigation.

This is the first time a Chinese naval fleet has visited the mainland of the United States. The significance of this visit has far exceeded the significance of an ordinary naval visit itself. As envoys of the Chinese people and military, our naval fleet has crossed the ocean and brought the friendly feelings of the Chinese people and military to the American people and military.

During the few days of the visit to San Diego, the two navies had pleasant and candid exchanges. Captain Wu Hongle, captain of the guided-missile destroyer "Harbin" of the Chinese Navy, led his officers and soldiers to board the US guided-missile destroyer "Jones" for a visit. The officers and soldiers carefully viewed the missiles, artillery, radar and other weapons and equipment on the ship, and asked about the warship's speed, the power of the weapons, the life of the officers and soldiers, etc., and the host answered them one by one in a friendly manner. Because they are peers, the conversation is very congenial. Then, the officers and soldiers visited the USS Constellation aircraft carrier and took the lift platform to the high flight deck.

The naval officers and soldiers of China and the United States have enhanced their friendship with each other during exchanges. On the beautiful San Diego beach, officers and soldiers from both sides had a picnic and held a beach volleyball match to the accompaniment of sweet American country music. The tug-of-war competition between the two sides was very interesting. Since the US Navy officers and soldiers rarely engage in this activity, they made a lot of fools of themselves and everyone burst into laughter.

The U.S. Navy officers and soldiers also boarded the Chinese warship with great interest to visit. They raised their thumbs: "The Chinese navy is well-trained! The Chinese warships are beautiful!"

The Chinese naval fleet is visiting the United States, and the Chinese people are happiest than the overseas Chinese. The news that the motherland's naval fleet is coming to the United States has already spread throughout the United States. After the formation arrived in San Diego, overseas Chinese rushed to tell each other and flocked to the Saint North Island Navy Pier from all directions. On March 22, three milky-white Chinese warships, guided by the USS George Philip, slowly sailed into the Port of San Diego. When the warship came into view, the Port of San Diego was filled with joy.

On the shore, overseas Chinese, Chinese and local American citizens from all over the United States carried large slogans "Warmly welcome the Chinese naval fleet to visit the United States", waved the national flags of China and the United States and flowers, and paid tribute to the Chinese Navy. The officers and soldiers greeted each other. The bright five-star red flag, the fiery lion dance, and the enthusiastic cheers turned the pier into a sea of ??joy.

The afternoon is time to visit Chinese warships. At around 11 o'clock at noon, the queue waiting to visit the pier had already formed a long queue of nearly 2,000 meters. There were American citizens of all colors and ages in the team. Many people came all the way from Los Angeles in central California and San Francisco in the north, and some even flew in from the east. Because there were so many people queuing up, the loudspeaker on the ship had to remind visitors to speed up, and the visiting time had to be extended repeatedly every afternoon.

By the 23rd, the number of people visiting Chinese warships had reached 50,000. The US Navy officer in charge of public relations at the base said that this kind of grand occasion has never happened in the history of the base. Americans who have visited Chinese warships all say that Chinese warships are clean, tidy, and extraordinary, and are much more beautiful and advanced than they imagined. As for Chinese sailors, they praise them as "very disciplined" and "very professional." ".