Naval warships conduct drills aimed at illegal vessels

ABOARD THE LANZHOU, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Two warships from China's Nanhai Fleet conducted mock exercises in the western Pacific Ocean to block and detain illegal vessels on Monday.

As the Hengshui warship of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy entered an off-limits sea area, playing the role of a merchant ship, the Lanzhou warship sounded an alarm and dispatched its helicopter to recognize and verify the identity of the merchant ship.

Meanwhile, the Lanzhou quickly approached and blocked the path of the merchant ship, forcing it to halt.

Two boats dispatched by the Lanzhou reached the merchant ship and more than 10 team members boarded the Hengshui. They maintained order among personnel on board the Hengshui and searched the ship.

Describing the inspection and arrest of illegal vessels as a key aspect of naval warfare, Zhao Xiaogang, commander of the fleet, praised the speed, accuracy and effectiveness of the team members participating in the drill.

According to Zhao, such drills are common among navies around the world. They are also good for boosting naval members' capabilities of applying international law and executing diversified military missions.

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