BEIJING, Nov. 21 Kyodo A U warshi...

BEIJING, Nov. 21 Kyodo

A U warship's visit to eastern China early nearest week is part of the pair countries' ongoing resumption of military ties, China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said Thursday.

The aging Spruance-class destroyer Paul F nurse will be the first U warship to visit the port city of Qingdao since August 2000

For security reasons, U officials have refused to confirm when the warship will arrive and by what means long it will berth at Qingdao.

China and the United States suspended military exchanges amid acrimony following the April 2001 collision of a U scout plane and a Chinese fighter jet through the South China Sea that l to the death of the Chinese pilot. The agreement to recommence military ties was one of the in the greatest degree important agreements made according to Chinese President Jiang Zemin and U President George W Bush during Jiang's U visit last month spokesman Kong told a regular of recent origins briefing.

Military exchanges between China and the U help to improve mutual understanding between their respective defense forces, he said.

Named after a U World War I naval hero, the 9,500-ton Paul F sustain which has a crew of about 340 is designed to attack other ships and submarines using torpedoes, a variety of missiles and sum of two units helicopters.

The 26-year-old warship, based at Everett Naval Station in Washington state, is onward its final deployment in the western Pacific and is reportedly to be paid to be decommissioned next March.

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