The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy training ship Qijiguang (Hull 83) Photo: Screenshot from the Wechat account of the PLA Navy

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's 83rd task force, currently on a far-sea comprehensive training and visit mission, arrived in Vietnam's southern hub Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday for a four-day goodwill visit. This marks the first visit of Chinese naval vessels to this city in nine years. A military affairs expert told the Global Times that the visit aims to enhance mutual trust and deepen practical cooperation between the Chinese and Vietnamese navies.

Prior to the visit, China's Ministry of National Defense announced that at the invitation of the Vietnamese Navy, a naval formation comprising the training ship Qijiguang and amphibious dock landing ship Kunlunshan was dispatched to Ho Chi Minh City for the visit.

During the visit, the Qijiguang will hold a ship open-day event, and crew members will visit Vietnamese naval units and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Ho Chi Minh City for exchanges and discussions, and also participate in friendly sports matches. The formation will also host a deck reception aboard the Qijiguang on Wednesday evening.

"The composition of the naval formation - the Qijiguang (a large training ship) and the Kunlunshan (a dock landing ship) - demonstrates China's goodwill. Against the backdrop of continued tensions in the South China Sea, China is willing to work to reduce destabilizing factors and jointly maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea with all parties," Wang Yunfei, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Monday.

Compared with combat vessels such as destroyers and frigates, training ships and dock landing ships are more moderate in terms of both visual impact and operational intent, Wang said. 

"Although a dock landing ship is a combat vessel, it can also perform non-combat military missions such as disaster relief, humanitarian assistance and peace engagements. At the same time, it reflects the level of development of the PLA Navy - only a handful of countries are capable of building dock landing ships, which demonstrates the tangible progress China has made in its naval modernization."

Moreover, as the 83rd task force's mission is a "far-sea comprehensive training mission", the visit involves a large number of naval academy cadets. "These young cadets will interact with Vietnamese naval personnel, which will help promote understanding and friendship between the younger generations of the two countries," Wang said. He noted that the visit clearly contributes to China and Vietnam becoming "good neighbors, good friends, good comrades and good partners", and is conducive to the sustained friendly development of bilateral relations.

In recent years, the Chinese and Vietnamese navies have deepened cooperation in areas such as ship visits and joint patrols, playing a positive role in enhancing mutual trust and maintaining regional stability.

In November 2025, the PLA Navy's 989 Task formation, comprising the amphibious dock landing ship Changbaishan, training vessel Zheng He and comprehensive training vessel Xiangqianjin-1, arrived at Vietnam's Cam Ranh Bay for a four-day goodwill visit. Subsequently, on December 1, 2025, the Vietnamese Navy frigate Tran Hung Dao visited Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province for a four-day exchange visit.

In mid-March 2026, the 10th China-Vietnam Border Defense Friendship Exchange was held. During the event, Chinese and Vietnamese naval formations conducted their 40th joint patrol in the Beibu Gulf, engaging in joint training exercises covering formation maneuvers, joint escort, joint anti-piracy and joint search and rescue, according to the PLA Navy.

The "comprehensive, multi-level" exchange arrangements between the two navies demonstrate that both sides are willing to enhance mutual trust and manage differences through dialogue and cooperation, jointly safeguarding peace and stability in the South China Sea and the region, Wang added.