Chinese fleet heads for training in W Pacific

ABOARD THE JINGGANGSHAN - A People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy fleet that has conducted patrols and training missions on the South China Sea for the past 11 days is now heading toward the western Pacific Ocean.

A navy soldier observe an sea area with a telescope on a ship of the Chinese fleet heading toward the western Pacific Ocean, at the Bashi Channel on March 29, 2012.[Photo/Xinhua]

The four-ship fleet entered the Bashi Channel, an international waterway linking the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean, around 6 am Friday. It will conduct training on law enforcement, open-ocean interception scenarios and sea area control in the western Pacific.

The training is intended to further test the fleet's capabilities in deep-sea precision striking and integrated air defense battle, as well as evaluate its strategies regarding maritime law enforcement, counter-terrorism work and counter-piracy efforts, according to officers.

The fleet consists of the amphibious docking ship Jinggangshan, the missile destroyer Lanzhou, missile frigates Yulin and Hengshui, four ship-borne helicopters and a hovercraft.

It left the city of Sanya in south China's island province of Hainan on March 19 for patrol and open-ocean training missions.