CRI听力:RIMPAC Exercise to Boost China-US Military Relations

The annual Rim of the Pacific, or RIMPAC, multinational naval exercise is nearing a conclusion, with the Chinese fleet taking part in the event for the first time, saying its achieved its goals.

CRI's Tu Yun has more.

Chinese missile destroyer Haikou and missile frigate Yueyang are set to wrap up their exercises, following target practice in the waters around Hawaii.

Zhao Xiaogang, commander of the Chinese fleet, says they have been working closely with the United States as part of the drills.

"After arriving at Harbor Bay, we had a lot of contact with the U.S. navy, as well as navies of other participating countries. Generally speaking, I think the host of the exercise is excited about the Chinese navy's participation. They have been treating us very well."

Rear Admiral Patrick Hall, a commander of the US Navy, says China's participation is good for mutual understanding.

"This is just a great opportunity to be able to work together and understand how they do business, and for them to understand how we do business also. So I think it's going to be a great event. I think at the end of the day we'll find out this really paid a lot of dividends, and ensuring that we understood what each other is doing when we're out on the open ocean."

Former U.S. Ambassador to China, J. Stapleton Roy, says the drills are a good opportunity for the two countries to learn from one-another.

"I think the military-to-military aspect of U.S.-China relations is the least well developed. And now for the last year and half we've been trying rapidly to expand military-to-military contacts. And I think that China's decision to participate in the RIMPAC exercise this year is a very significant further step forward in improving U.S.-China military-to-military contacts,"

RIMPAC first began as a United States naval initiative in 1971.

More than 50 naval vessels, 245 aircraft and 25-thousand personnel from 22 different nations are participating in this year's event.

For CRI, I'm Tu Yun.