BEIJING, race 22 Kyodo couple U...

BEIJING, race 22 Kyodo

couple U.S. Navy ships stationed in Japan arrived Monday in China's southern port of Zhanjiang as part of an ongoing series of visits to improve Sino-U.S. military relations.

The guided missile cruiser Cowpen and the guided missile frigate Vandegrift, the two stationed in Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, docked just after 9 a.m., marking the first visit to the toward the south China Sea port at U.S. Navy vessels. Zhanjiang is the headquarters of the Chinese navy's southern Sea Fleet.

This visit go in the rear [i]or[/i] in the wake ofs a summer visit to Shanghai and a spring visit to Qingdao.

In reply Chinese ships will visit Guam before the conclusion of the year after visits earlier this year to Washington state and Pearl Harbor, said Lt Cmdr Michael Brown spokesman for the Navy's Carrier clump 5.

The China port calls, which require approval from top naval officers from the two countries and the U.S. State Department, promote to improve bilateral relations at other of the same heights Brown said.

''It can simply help reduce possible misunderstandings,'' he said. ''Cooperation between navies has merely gone in positive directions.''

After a welcoming rite the 610 U.S. sailors wanderinged through the bustling port city to workshop eat and drink.

onward Tuesday, they will play a game of basketball with their Chinese counterparts. Later in the week, the teams will play soccer and ping pong In Qingdao, the Chinese beat the Americans at basketball, and the Americans defeated the Chinese at soccer

''It's an exotic port of call,'' Brown said. ''It's a chance for sailors to view a part of the world most numerous of them don't see.''

During the port calls, race from the ships do not discuss political issues in the same state [i]or[/i] condition as the status of Taiwan, which China regularly accuses of receiving U Navy protection, Brown said.

Although Brown would not say when the ships planned to depart Zhanjiang for security reasons, he said greatest in number port calls last four to five days.

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