Chinese naval ship Qi Jiguang to train in Pacific Ocean.

The Chinese naval training ship Qi Jiguang (Hull 83), carrying 517 sailors and cadets, left a military port in Dalian for ocean-going training at 10 a.m. on September 20, 2019.

The Chinese naval training ship Qi Jiguang (Hull 83) (Picture source: Chinese Navy)

The Qi Jiguang ship will visit a number of Asia-Pacific countries including Brunei, East Timor, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and Fiji. This is the second ocean-going training mission of the ship since it was commissioned.

During the two-month sailing, the ship will sail through the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, the South China Sea, the Java Sea, the Banda Sea, the Timor Sea and the Arafura Sea. It will sail cross important channels and waterways including the Taiwan Strait, the Karimata Strait, the Torres Strait, the Cook Strait and the Osumi Strait.

Cadets will carry out teaching and training courses covering 27 different subjects such as terrestrial navigation, celestial navigation and marine hydro-meteorology. During the port calls in foreign countries, they will visit foreign warships, academies and training facilities, enhancing friendship through the launch of the Vessel Open Day, deck reception and various cultural and sports activities.

The Ship Qi Jiguang (Hull 83) is a naval training ship attached to a training ship detachment of the PLA Dalian Naval Academy. Since its commission, it has participated in many multinational naval activities ranging from the 70th-anniversary ceremony of the founding of China's PLA Navy, the naval parade in the South China Sea, the visit to the four countries of Europe and Asia, to the maritime activities of the 4th National Students Military Training Camp.

The ship has a length of 163.5 m, a width of 22.2 m and a displacement of around 9,000 tons. The ship is capable of achieving a maximum speed of 22 knots. The ship is lightly armed with a 76 mm single-barrelled H/PJ-26 mounting on the fo’c’s’le and two 30 mm H/PJ-17 guns installed forward of the bridge. It also has a large flight deck but no hangar. The training vessel has a crew complement of 549.