Chinese sailors visit A-bomb museum in Hiroshima+

HIROSHIMA, Nov. 7 Kyodo -
About 230 cadets and crew of a Chinese naval training vessel on Saturday
visited the Hiroshima A-bomb museum and the ruins of a building destroyed by
the U.S attack on the city in 1945.

It is rare for such a large contingent of foreign military personnel to visit
the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park where the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and
the monument known as the A-Bomb Dome are located.
The visit to the park took place at the recommendation of Japan's Maritime
Self-Defense Force, according to the MSDF.
The 5,470-ton Zhenghe with some 360 crew members on board arrived at Etajima
port in Hiroshima Prefecture on Thursday on a visit aimed at promoting friendly
relations between the two countries.
It is the second such port call in Japan made by a Chinese naval vessel
following one in November 2007 in Tokyo.
The crew members exchanged opinions with MSDF personnel and played soccer and
volleyball together.
On Sunday they plan to visit the Yamato Museum, which displays a one-tenth
scale model of the Japanese World War II battleship Yamato, in Kure, Hiroshima
Prefecture, before leaving Japan on Monday.
==Kyodo
2009-11-07 22:36:01