PLA Navy's "Zhenghe" training vessel to visit South Korea, Japan

The PLA Navy's "Zhenghe" training vessel is on its way to visit South Korea and Japan. Over 200 cadets onboard the ship are busy receiving training during the voyage.

A "mobile college" at sea.

To date, more than two thirds of PLA Navy officers have been trained here.

This time, the vessel is carrying 230 newcomers, who are from the PLA Navy's academies.

They have nine training days.

The cadets have to undergo various exercises related to operating the vessel as well as basic sailing skills.

Cadet Song Jiannan said, "This is an overseas visit, also a training voyage. There is a tight timetable. For me, it's a test and a challenge."

There are also a total of 16 female cadets onboard. They have to undergo the same training as their male colleagues.

They say training here is a totally different learning experience.

Cadet Song Huanhuan said, "This is my first time aboard a ship. Learning sailing from books is a bit abstract. But here, I have to collect all the sailing data myself and pinpoint the ship's location on the nautical map."

The vessel plans to visit Chinhae port in South Korea and Kure port in Japan in the next two weeks.

There, the cadets will have a variety of professional exchanges with their South Korean and Japanese counterparts.

During the visits, four of them will get the chance to be trained in South Korea's navy and Japan's maritime self-defense force academies.