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Japanese navy destroyer to visit China

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-06-17 20:50

BEIJING - A Japanese navy destroyer will make a five-day port call to China starting from June 24. The stop is a return visit after a Chinese navy missile destroyer went to Japan last year, the Chinese Defense Ministry said Tuesday.

The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer Sazanami is scheduled to visit Zhanjiang, a port city in the southern Guangdong Province, from June 24 to 28.

During the visit, a ceremony will be held to transfer the relief materials of the Japanese Defense Ministry and Self-Defense Forces to the quake-hit areas in China's Sichuan Province, according to the ministry spokesman.

Chinese and Japanese navy officers and soldiers will visit each other's destroyers and hold some sports and cultural exchange activities.

Sazanami, led by major general Shinichi Tokumaru with 240 officers and soldiers onboard, will be open to the citizens of Zhanjiang.

This was a goodwill visit based on the consensus reached by leaders of China and Japan, the ministry spokesman said.

"It will be conducive to promoting the defense exchanges between the two countries, enhancing mutual trust on security and boosting the all-round development of mutually-beneficial relations on common strategic interests," he said.