Exercises Military Diplomacy

Set Sail! China's Navy Task Force 83 Departs to Execute Far-Sea Comprehensive Training and Goodwill Visit Mission

起航！中国海军83舰编队执行远海综合实习访问任务

PLA Daily (解放军报) 16 June 2026

Summary

On June 15, PLAN Task Force 83 — comprising the training ship Qi Jiguang and the amphibious transport dock Kunlunshan — departed Qingdao carrying over 400 naval cadets from the Naval University of Engineering and the Naval Submarine Academy, along with 20 foreign military cadets from Brazil, Myanmar, and other countries, for a far-sea training and goodwill visit mission. The inclusion of foreign cadets in a structured, multi-module shipboard curriculum extending into overseas port calls documents the PLAN's use of cadet training voyages as a dual-purpose instrument: building professional competence while cultivating defense relationships with partner navies in the Global South. This fits the established pattern of Qi Jiguang deployments as soft-power platforms, but the explicit integration of foreign cadets into the training syllabus — rather than treating them as observers — extends that pattern toward a more formalized military education exchange function.

Translation

Task Force 83, composed of the PLA Navy vessels Qi Jiguang and Kunlunshan, sets sail — Chinese and foreign cadets are integrated and trained together to execute a far-sea comprehensive training and goodwill visit mission.

Qi Jiguang departs the pier. Photo by Luo Zhenyu.

PLA Daily, Qingdao, June 15 — Reported by Zheng Hongsheng and correspondent Xu Lin: On June 15, Task Force 83, composed of the Chinese Navy vessels Qi Jiguang and Kunlunshan, cast off from a military port in Qingdao, Shandong, carrying more than 400 naval cadets, and set sail to execute a far-sea comprehensive training and goodwill visit mission.

According to available information, the cadets participating in this shipboard training and visit are drawn primarily from the Naval University of Engineering and the Naval Submarine Academy. Notably, 20 foreign military cadets from countries including Brazil and Myanmar will be integrated with Chinese cadets for joint training to complete this mission together.

This far-sea comprehensive training and goodwill visit mission is aimed at comprehensively improving cadets' naval professional competence and their ability to fulfill future assigned duties. During the transit, the task force will systematically organize cadets to conduct teaching and training across five modules: terrestrial navigation (地文航海), celestial navigation (天文航海), common subjects (共同科目), professional fundamentals (专业基础), and on-the-job observation (岗位见习). At the same time, special lectures on on-site instruction (现地教学) and professional enrichment (专业拓展) will be organized in accordance with the characteristics of the sea areas transited.

During port calls at foreign ports, the task force plans to hold deck receptions and observation visits, strengthen exchanges, mutual learning, and practical cooperation with the navies of host countries, and contribute to serving the building of a maritime community with a shared future (海洋命运共同体).

Original Chinese

由海军戚继光舰和昆仑山舰组成的83舰编队起航中外学员混编同训执行远海综合实习访问任务戚继光舰驶离码头。罗振宇摄解放军报青岛6月15日电郑洪胜、记者徐琳报道：6月15日，由中国海军戚继光舰和昆仑山舰组成的83舰编队，搭载400余名海军学员，从山东青岛某军港解缆起航，执行远海综合实习访问任务。据了解，此次随舰实习访问的学员主要来自海军工程大学和海军潜艇学院。值得关注的是，来自巴西、缅甸等国的20名外军学员将与中方学员混编同训，共同完成此次任务。此次远海综合实习访问任务，旨在全面提升学员的海军职业素养和未来岗位履职能力。在航渡期间，编队将系统组织学员开展地文航海、天文航海、共同科目、专业基础和岗位见习等5个模块的教学训练。同时，将结合航经海域特点，组织开展现地教学和专业拓展等专题讲座。在靠泊外国港口期间，编队计划举行甲板招待会、参观见学等活动，加强与到访国海军的交流互鉴与务实合作，为服务构建海洋命运共同体贡献力量。