Three Chinese warships arrive in Colombo for formal visit

Colombo, August 26 (Daily Mirror) - Three Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy warships—"HE FEI," "WUZHISHAN," and "QILIANSHAN"—arrived at the port of Colombo this morning for a formal visit.

The Sri Lanka Navy welcomed the ships in accordance with naval traditions.

The "HE FEI" is a 144.5-meter-long destroyer with 267 crew members under Captain Chen Junfeng. The "WUZHISHAN" and "QILIANSHAN" are both 210-meter-long Landing Platform Docks, commanded by Captain Fei Zhang and Captain Xiong Binghon, respectively. The "WUZHISHAN" has a crew of 872, while the "QILIANSHAN" has 334.

The commanding officers are scheduled to meet with Rear Admiral Chinthaka Kumarasinghe, Commander of the Western Naval Area, at the Western Naval Command Headquarters today. To enhance naval relations, crew members will participate in various programs organized by the Sri Lanka Navy.

During their stay, the crew will also explore local tourist attractions, and Sri Lanka Navy personnel will attend briefings on the ships' operational functions.

The visit will conclude with a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) involving a Sri Lanka Navy ship, after which the warships will depart Colombo on August 29.