The Chinese warship Zhenghe docked in Sihanoukville Wednesday and will stay five days as part of a goodwill visit, a Chinese official said.
Members of the Zhenghe’s crew of 400 will meet Cambodian officials and play football with members of the Cambodian navy, said Man Zhong He, military attache at the Chinese Embassy in Phnom Penh.
The visit “is to improve the relationship between the Cambodian and Chinese navies,” he said.
Cambodian naval officials were not available for comment.
Sihanoukville has been host to a number of international naval visits in recent years. In October ships from both the French and American navies made ports of call.
Cambodia has been receiving direct military aid from the US since 2007, while China annually contributes hundreds of millions of dollars in mostly unconditional aid to the country.