Thursday, July 17, 2008

Chinese People not Allowed Access to Warship Opening Day


DDG 167 is one of the modernized guided missile destroyer in the PLA Navy's arsenal. The ship is named after Shenzhen, a Guangdong Province city next to Hong Kong.

DDG 167 has been the PLA Navy's showcase warship, and has visited all continents. Photo showing DDG 167 entering Apra Harbor of Guam in 2003. During this visit, a standard agenda item is always an opening day to hosting Navy and local residents. A few months ago, DDG 167 visited Japan and opened to Japanese Navy and people.

However, the only way for a Chinese civilian to step on the warship would be on a foreign water. For the first time in history, DDG 167 visited city Shenzhen, its namesake city on July 14, 2008. Only Communism Officials and their relatives were allowed to visit the ship. Ordinary Chinese were shut out citing 'military secrecy' concerns. Rather, they were bused a tour far away from the harbor, during the trip the warship can be seen from a distance for 2 minutes. It's understandable as the PLA genuinely distrust Chinese people but favor it's own communism party members. However, it's mind boggling as why a warship that opens to hostile navy regularly, but shut the door to its own citizen in name of military secrecy concerns.

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