2014环太军演夏威夷集结

Officers of the United States and Chinese navies have gathered at a joint news conference at Hawaii's Pearl Harbor to mark the start of the Rim of the Pacific naval drill.

CRI's Mike Fox has more.

The Rim of the Pacific has been the world's largest multinational maritime exercise since 1971. This year, for the first time, it includes a Chinese contingent.

Zhao Xiaogang, drill director for the Chinese naval fleet, says the major objectives of the Chinese Navy's participation to RIMPAC are threefold.

"The first thing is to promote the healthy and stable development of the Sino-U.S. military relationship. The second is to strengthen technical interaction and deepen cooperation in all fields among the navies of the countries involved. The third is to show the Chinese navy's positive attitude in maintaining world peace and promoting regional safety and stability."

In helping kick off the event in Hawaii, Commander of the US Pacific Fleet, Admiral Harry Harris, has also met with the media.

"Mutual trust and openalized communication are critical but very challenging to build. That's why multilateral exercises like RIMPAC are so important. It helps us work together effectively in real war events like the recent search for the Malaysian airliner or in responding to the devastating typhoon that hit our allies in the Philippines last November. Friends help friends. And often the fastest response to crises comes from the sea. Capable maritime forces matter to all nations."

This year's drill, themed "Capable, Adaptive, Partners", has gathered the navies of 22 different countries.

It will run until August 1.

For CRI, this is Mike Fox.