As a way to boost the country's maritime combat capability, the Chinese Navy has commissioned three advanced and world-class guided missile destroyers.
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy said in a statement that the Hefei, the latest model of Type 052D destroyers, has been delivered to the South Sea Fleet at a naval base in Sanya, Hainan, over the weekend.
PLA Navy deputy political commissar Vice-Admiral Wang Dengping said that the Hefei is the most advanced destroyer the country has built. Speaking before the attendees of the ship's commissioning ceremony, he added that the service of the destroyer will play a vital role in keeping the nation's maritime interests safe.
In March last year, the Kunming, the first Type 052D destroyer, joined the Navy, while the second, the Changsha, arrived in August.
In an exclusive interview by China Daily, Commander Zhao Yanquan, captain of the Hefei, said: "All posts on the vessel have been manned by my officers and sailors, since the shipyard technicians who were aboard to help us before the delivery have left."
"My men have familiarized themselves with the advanced equipment and weapons," he said. "In the near future, we will focus on training, aiming to make the ship become fully operational within a short period."
Comparing the new ship with what he has previously commanded, the Wuhan, a Type 052B, the Hefei is "especially stronger in terms of target detection capacity and air defense capability."
The commissioned destroyer features a wide range of weapons such as single-barrel 130 mm naval gun and anti-aircraft missiles, as cited by earlier reports by Chinese military news websites.