Exercises Military Diplomacy

More Than 20 Days Aboard Ship Bound Them Tightly Together

20多天的随舰生活，将他们紧紧连在一起

PLA Daily (解放军报) 10 July 2026

Summary

Four foreign naval officers — two Brazilian lieutenants (Barbosa and Diego) and two Myanmar lieutenants (Khin Kyaw Win and Thu Zin Myint Aung) — completed a 20-plus-day practical training voyage aboard PLA Navy training ship Qi Jiguang (Hull 83), departing Qingdao on June 15 and concluding July 6, with instruction in celestial and terrestrial navigation alongside Chinese trainees and supplementary courses on Chinese culture and military affairs. The article documents the Qi Jiguang's institutionalized foreign trainee program, which has embedded foreign military personnel in every far-sea training mission since 2019, extending the PLA Navy's use of professional military education as a sustained relationship-building mechanism with partner navies in Latin America and Southeast Asia. The pairing of Brazil — a country with its own established naval training voyage tradition and growing interest in bilateral exchange — with Myanmar, a military-governed state under Western sanctions, in the same cohort illustrates how this program consolidates ties across strategically distinct partners under a single, normalized format.

Translation

Exchanging military salutes, descending the gangway, waving farewell… On July 6, Brazilian Navy Lieutenants Barbosa and Diego, and Myanmar Navy Lieutenants Khin Kyaw Win and Thu Zin Myint Aung, who had been undergoing practical training aboard Chinese Navy Ship 83, concluded their shipboard training voyage carrying full hearts and reluctance to part.

Barbosa is a graduate of the Brazilian Naval Academy who completed his graduation voyage aboard the training ship "Brasil" just last year, and currently serves aboard a Brazilian frigate. Upon learning of the opportunity to participate in a training visit aboard a Chinese Navy training ship, he immediately submitted an application. After passing through multiple rounds of selection, he and Diego ultimately secured this valuable opportunity.

On June 15, after four layovers and more than 30 hours of flight, Barbosa and Diego arrived in Qingdao, China, and boarded the Qi Jiguang. Joining them on the same day were Myanmar Navy Lieutenants Khin Kyaw Win and Thu Zin Myint Aung. With no time to recover from jet lag, they began their practical training alongside their Chinese counterparts.

Since first undertaking the task of hosting foreign officer trainees in 2019, Ship 83 has invited foreign military personnel to participate in every far-sea comprehensive training and visit mission. Taking into account their actual circumstances, the instructional team arranged for them to study professional courses such as celestial navigation and terrestrial navigation together with Chinese trainees, and additionally set up special courses on traditional Chinese culture as well as thematic lectures introducing the Chinese military and China's foreign affairs.

"China is an inclusive country, and my Chinese classmates are very friendly—I like them very much," said Barbosa. During his five-month graduation voyage last year, he visited 13 countries by ship but had no opportunity to visit China. For this reason, he has long hoped that in the near future, a Brazilian training ship might bring Brazilian naval cadets to visit China.

During this mission, the quadrennial FIFA World Cup was in full swing, and Barbosa and Diego watched Brazil's match against Japan together with several Chinese trainees. Brazil's last-minute comeback victory taught Diego a Chinese phrase: "难以置信" (unbelievable).

"Unbelievable" was also the word Barbosa used to describe this shipboard training experience. In July 2024, Barbosa had traveled to Dalian to participate in the "Navy Cup" International Sailing Invitational hosted by the Chinese Navy, and had also visited the Palace Museum and the Great Wall in Beijing. China's long history and profound culture had deeply captivated him. To have the opportunity to return to this distant and captivating country twice within two years was, he said, "simply 'unbelievable'!"

"I am especially happy and honored to have been able to train aboard the ship," said Khin Kyaw Win. The days aboard Ship 83 not only taught him professional skills but also strengthened his confidence and taught him the value of cooperation—qualities essential to becoming an outstanding naval officer. For Thu Zin Myint Aung, who had long wanted to come to China for study and observation, this shipboard training not only made his dream a reality but also brought him a special birthday gift. At a collective birthday celebration at sea, Thu Zin Myint Aung blew out candles and cut cake together with Chinese trainees sharing the same birthday, spending a joyful and unforgettable birthday.

From working on nautical charts together in the classroom to jointly observing solar altitude on deck; from sharing their home countries' customs, conditions, and military situations with Chinese trainees in the lecture hall, to discussing practical shiphandling skills with Ship 83's crew at discussion forums; from wrapping zongzi and tying five-colored cords for the Dragon Boat Festival, to practicing calligraphy together, tasting tea, and assembling dougong (斗拱) bracket sets—over more than 20 days of shipboard life, the foreign military trainees gained not only professional knowledge and skills but also a weighty friendship.

From acquaintance to mutual understanding, time passed swiftly. Before departure, the formation specially held a graduation ceremony at which the commander presented them with certificates of completion and awarded friendship prizes to some of the foreign military trainees in recognition of their contributions to promoting Sino-foreign exchange. At the graduation ceremony, Diego said with deep feeling: "The ocean binds us tightly together; all the more reason we should join hands in cooperation to jointly safeguard peace and development."

Original Chinese

互致军礼、走下舷梯、挥手道别……7月6日，跟随中国海军83舰实习训练的巴西海军中尉巴博萨、迪亚戈，缅甸海军中尉侃觉温、杜仁铭昂，带着满满的收获和不舍，结束了他们此次随舰跟训的旅程。巴博萨毕业于巴西海军学院，去年刚刚随“巴西”号训练舰完成了自己的毕业航海实习，目前在巴西一艘护卫舰上服役。了解到有机会随中国海军训练舰一起实习访问，他立即提交申请。经过层层筛选，他和迪亚戈最终获得了这个宝贵的机会。 6月15日，巴博萨和迪亚戈经历了4次转机、30多个小时的飞行后，抵达中国青岛，登上了戚继光舰。与他们同天登舰的，还有来自缅甸的海军中尉侃觉温和杜仁铭昂。来不及倒时差，他们便和中方学员一起开始实习训练。自2019年首次承担外籍军官跟训任务以来，83舰每次远海综合实习访问，都会邀请外军人员跟训。针对他们的实际情况，教学组除了安排他们与中方学员一起学习天文航海、地文航海等专业课程外，还特别设置了一些中国传统文化课程，以及介绍中国军队、中国外交相关情况的专题讲座。 “中国是一个包容的国家，我的中国同学非常友好，我很喜欢他们。”巴博萨说，在去年为期5个月的毕业航海实习中，他随舰访问了13个国家，却没有机会到访中国。为此，他一直希望在不久的将来，巴西的训练舰可以带着巴西海军学员访问中国。此次任务期间，正值四年一度的世界杯足球赛火热开赛，巴博萨、迪亚戈与几位中方学员一起观看了巴西队对阵日本队的比赛。巴西队最后时刻的逆转绝杀，让迪亚戈学会了一个中文词语——“难以置信”。 “难以置信”，这个词也被巴博萨用来形容此次随舰实习训练。2024年7月，巴博萨曾赴大连参加中国海军举办的“海军杯”国际帆船邀请赛，还到北京参观了故宫和长城。中国悠久的历史和厚重的文化深深吸引了他。两年之内，能有机会再度来到这个遥远而充满魅力的国家，“简直‘难以置信’！”巴博萨说。 “能够跟舰实习训练，我特别高兴和荣幸。”侃觉温说，83舰上的日子不仅让他学会了专业技能，还让他增强了自信、学会了协作，这是成为一名优秀海军军官必备的素质。对于早就想来中国见学的杜仁铭昂来说，这次跟舰实习训练不仅让他梦想成真，还让他收到了一份特别的生日礼物。海上集体生日会上，杜仁铭昂和一起过生日的中方学员共同吹蜡烛、切蛋糕，度过了一个欢乐而难忘的生日。从在教室一起海图作业，到在甲板共同观测太阳高度；从讲堂上与中方学员分享本国的风土人情、国情军情，到座谈会上与83舰舰员探讨舰艇实操技能；从端午节包粽子互系五彩绳，到一起写书法、品茶、组装斗拱……20多天的随舰生活，外军学员不仅收获了专业知识和技能，还收获了沉甸甸的友谊。从相识到相知，时间飞快。临行前，编队专门举办结业仪式，指挥员为他们颁发结业证书，还为部分外军学员颁发友谊奖，以表彰他们为促进中外交流作出的贡献。迪亚戈在结业时满含深情地说：“海洋将我们紧紧连在一起，我们更应携手合作共同维护和平与发展。”