RIMPAC, largest naval exercise coming to a close

World Today

It was the biggest ever Rim of the Pacific exercises, with first-time participation from Beijing that included the missile destroyer the Haikou conducting live fire drills, and the hospital ship the Peace Ark demonstrating its humanitarian capabilities.

The 1,100 Chinese sailors in Hawaii were able to rub shoulders with their American counterparts and many from the Asia Pacific region, Latin America and beyond.

It was also a chance for the U.S. to show off its military hardware like the aircraft carrier the Ronald Reagan and its array of military jets. And while RIMPAC’s aim to increase trust and transparency among the navies was met during the month-long drill, according to U.S. and Chinese officials, suspicions remain.

The U.S. announced it spotted a Chinese surveillance ship during the exercises not far from the Reagan and while authorities admitted it was not a maritime violation, the chief commander of U.S. Pacific Command put it this way.

It’s worth noting the U.S. often uses its surveillance ships inside Chinese waters and despite continued strategic differences over the South China Sea, both China and the U.S. hailed the Rim of the Pacific drill as a way to increase cooperation and decrease tensions. In fact, China has been invited back to the next international RIMPAC exercises in 2016 and has been asked to bring even more military assets. CCTV America’s Nathan King reports from Washington.

RIMPAC, largest naval exercise coming to a close

It was the biggest ever Rim of the Pacific exercises, with first-time participation from Beijing that included the missile destroyer the Haikou conducting live fire drills, and the hospital ship the Peace Ark demonstrating its humanitarian capabilities.

RIMPAC is coming to an end. RIMPAC stands for Rim of the Pacific exercise, lasted for 37 days in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

It was the first time for China to participate in the drills. China and the U.S. were among 22 nations that took part. The drills involved live-fire practice, drills on humanitarian-aid delivery, and war gaming. RIMPAC’s aim was to increase trust and transparency among participating navies.