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Hospital ship from China makes stopover in Honolulu

William Cole
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CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARADVERTISER.COM

Chinese navy hospital ship Peace Ark is tied up at Aloha Tower for replenishment.

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CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARADVERTISER.COM

The Chinese navy hospital ship Peace Ark is tied up at Aloha Tower for replenishment.

Hawaii is becoming a regular port of call for China’s increasingly global Navy.

The People’s Liberation Army Navy hospital ship Peace Ark was at the tail end of a several-day replenishment and tourism stopover in Honolulu Tuesday.

The 584-foot ship, painted white with large red crosses like the U.S. Navy’s two hospital ships, was tied up at Aloha Tower.

China Military Online, the PLA’s website, said the Peace Ark left Peru and was stopping in Hawaii on its homebound voyage after carrying out its “Harmonious Mission 2015” with other stops in Australia, French Polynesia, San Diego, Mexico, Barbados and Grenada.

“The Peace Ark is sailing the Pacific Ocean to advance military diplomacy, medical exchanges and cultural communications with foreign countries,” China Daily quoted Senior Capt. Guan Bailin saying in San Diego.

China said the Peace Ark was expected to perform about 2,000 free medical procedures in Peru.

The Peace Ark visit is part of an annual U.S.-China engagement plan coordinated between the two governments, but this time had no direct U.S. Navy ties, said Bill Doughty, a spokesman for Navy Region Hawaii.

“The ship is visiting a commercial port, and as this is a quality-of-life port visit for the crew, there are no Navy-to-Navy events scheduled,” Doughty said. “Like all foreign naval vessels visiting Hawaii, we welcome the crew and hope they enjoy their visit.”

The Peace Ark visited Pearl Harbor in 2014 as part of Rim of the Pacific maritime exercises.

Three Chinese navy ships — the destroyer Jinan, frigate Yiyang and oiler Qiandaohu — spent five days in Pearl Harbor last month toward the end of an around-the-world deployment.

The Chinese navy midshipmen training vessel Zheng He visited Pearl Harbor in October. U.S. Pacific Fleet said China is expected to participate in Rim of the Pacific again next summer.

3 responses to “Hospital ship from China makes stopover in Honolulu”

  1. mikethenovice says:

    Make sure that this Chinese ship is a medical facility and not some kind of spy ship, posing as a hospital ship.

  2. mikethenovice says:

    At least the will not have to pay any hotel room tax.

  3. Ken_Conklin says:

    Reminds me of the Hokele’a voyaging around the world stopping off everywhere to replenish food and water. Reminds me of Captain Cook stopping off at Kealakekua Bay on January 17, 1779 where he caused quite a stir, trading nails for hogs and the local ladies loved his crewmen.

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