By Xu Wei, Wang Guixian and Hua Ting
SHANGHAI, May 27 (ChinaMil) — Canadian Navy’s frigate HMCS Ottawa (341) arrived at the Yangtze naval harbor in Shanghai on May 26 to begin a seven-day friendly visit to Shanghai.
This is the third time for Shanghai to welcome the Ottawa and the eighth time for Canadian naval warships to visit Shanghai.
Rear-Admiral Art McDonald, commander of Maritime Forces Pacific of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), arrived in Shanghai on May 25 for this visit.
The East China Sea Fleet of the PLA Navy held a welcome ceremony at the harbor for the visiting Canadian frigate. Rear Admiral Wang Jianxun, commander of a naval base under the East China Sea Fleet, met with Rear Admiral McDonald and Commander Sylvain Belair, captain of the Ottawa. The Chinese side held a welcoming reception on Friday evening for the visiting Canadian frigate.
Art McDonald will pay official calls on Shanghai Municipal Government leaders. Officers and soldiers of the two navies will visit each other’s warships and have friendly basketball games. The Canadian side will hold a deck reception on the Ottawa.
After wrapping up the visit to Shanghai, HMCS Ottawa will conduct a joint drill of communication and fleet maneuver with the guided-missile frigate Xuzhou of the PLA Navy in a water of the East China Sea.