07/20/2014: The People’s Republic of China, People’s Liberation Army (Navy) replenishment ship Qiandaohu (AO 886) departs for the at-sea phase of Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise 2014.
Twenty-two nations, 49 ships and six submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in the biennial RIMPAC exercise from June 26 to Aug. 1, in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California.
The world’s largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceans. RIMPAC 2014 is the 24th exercise in the series that began in 1971.
Credit: Commander U.S. THIRD Fleet, Public Affairs Office:7/15/14
We should note that the Chinese seemed to play by their own rules when playing the role of an international partner!
A Chinese naval vessel slated to take part in a joint rescue drill in the RIMPAC-2014 multinational sea drills off the coast of Hawaii refused to participate because the event was commanded by a Japanese naval officer, according to various Japanese news report.