A CHINESE warship dropped anchor off Tokyo yesterday for the
first time since World War II, symbolising improving ties between
the countries.
The port call by the guided missile destroyer Shenzhen, with 345
officials and sailors on board, is part of an exchange that will
bring a Japanese warship on a visit to China at a later date.
It is the first Chinese port call in more than 70 years. The last
such visit took place in 1934 by a vessel from the late Kuomintang
leader Chiang Kai-shek, according to Japan's Defence
Ministry.
The latest visit takes place amid concerns in Japan over China's
surging defence spending, but the commanding officer assured his
Japanese hosts that Tokyo has nothing to fear from Chinese military
might.
'There is no need for concern, but we must be able to protect
ourselves,' Rear Admiral Xiao Xinnian told reporters aboard the
ship.
'China does not want to be a superpower or take over the
world.'
The Chinese ship arrived under heavy security, with a Japanese
destroyer as its escort and a half-dozen helicopters buzzing in the
sky.
On board, a navy band played Anchors Aweigh, while hundreds of
Chinese well-wishers waved the two countries' flags, and a lion
dance performance took place.
During its four-day stay, the Shenzhen will be open to the Japanese
public for tours. It will also dock at the Japanese naval
headquarters in Yokosuka, just south of the capital, before
returning to its home base in the southern Chinese port of
Zhanjiang.
'We looked forward to your visit, which would open up a new page in
the history of Japan-China military exchange,'Admiral Eiji
Yoshikawa, chief of staff for Japan's navy, told the Chinese
delegation.
Chinese Ambassador Cui Tiankai said the warship was a 'messenger of
peace'.
'Japanese and Chinese relations are at an important point. China is
following the path of peace and partnership, and Japan is an
important neighbour for China.'
Japan's brutal invasion and occupation of much of China in the
1930s and 1940s have left a legacy of bitterness. - AP news.
