Chinese naval warships and visiting Pakistani naval warships successfully staged an joint maritime rescue exercise yesterday near the mouth of the Yangtze River. This was the first time the Chinese Navy held a military exercise with a foreign counterpart in a non-traditional security field. 　　

　　The exercise was conducted against the background that a merchant ship caught fire during navigation, and warships from China and Pakistan in that sea area were ordered to conduct joint search and rescue operation. Chinese side sent a frigate, a supply ship and a helicopter to participate in the exercise while Pakistani side sent a frigate and a supply ship as well as two ship-bound helicopters. The exercise was divided into two phases. In the first phase, the two sides conducted communications exercise during the navigation and practiced how to form the formation. In the second phase, the two navies started a three-dimensional search in the troubled area with helicopters in the lead. Warships helped put out the fire and ship-bound helicopters evacuated wounded people to a safe place. The exercise lasted 3 hours and 17 minutes from 1:00pm and to 4:17pm. 　　

　　Talking about the significance of the exercise, Rear Admiral Zhang Deshun, commander of the Chinese side in the exercise told reporters that in the past few years the PLA had intensified its participation in many non-traditional security cooperation and advocated the new security principles of "mutual trust and benefit, equality and cooperation". The success of the Sino-Pakistani maritime rescue exercise was a good start for the Chinese Navy to expand its role in the joint exercise in non-traditional security fields and in the cooperation with foreign navies. 　　

　　The Pakistani destroyer and supply ship arrived in Shanghai on Oct.18 for a five-day friendly visit, the third trip the Pakistani Navy ever made to China.　 　　

　　By Qian Xiaohu and Ding Zengyi 　　

　　(October 23，PLA Daily)