The ship, with 137 officers and sailors on board, will join the International Maritime Review, Multinational Sea Exercise within the framework of the 6th Western Pacific Navy Symposium (WPNS-6), Maritime Information Sharing Exercise 2017, and International Maritime Defense Exhibition Asia 2017, Quan doi Nhan dan newspaper reported.

The trip aims to realise foreign policies on active international integration of the Party, State, Central Military Commission and Defence Ministry.

It also shows the VPN’s responsibility as a member of the ASEAN Naval Commander Meeting and the WPNS.

Additionally, the visit aims to show the VPN’s goodwill in promoting relations with the RSN and with ASEAN and regional navies.

On the same day, ship 8004 of the Vietnam Coast Guard Command on board was dispatched to visit China.

The China visit is the first friendly visit to a foreign country of a Vietnamese coast guard ship.

The visit bolsters friendship, mutual understanding and trust between the two forces.

During the visit, the Vietnamese mission will pay a courtesy call to the leadership of Hainan province, hold talks with the Chinese coast guard force, visit Nanhai Division of the Chinese Coast Guard, and share experience in preventing transnational crimes and on assisting people in distress at sea.