Type 680 training ship

The Type 680 training ship with NATO reporting name Dadu, otherwise known as Qi Jiguang is a training ship of the People's Liberation Army Navy. It joined the PLA Navy on 21 February 2017. Qi Jiguang engaged in a number of training voyages around the Indo-Pacific Region in 2019, notably visiting Wellington in New Zealand between 22 and 26 October. Rear Admiral Yu Wenbing invited various New Zealanders to a courtesy reception scheduled for 29 October 2019. Victoria University of Wellington staff discussed whether it was appropriate to attend the reception; in the event, Assistant Vice-Chancellor Rebecca Needham, a former director of the VUW Confucius Institute, attended the event, along with several staff members of the university's Confucius Institute attended. The New Zealand Defence Force said the visit had been arranged through normal diplomatic channels. On September 26, 2023 Qi Jiguang had a three day goodwill visit to Papua New Guinea. In October 2024, Qi Jiguang and the amphibious vessel Jinggang Shan docked at Swettenham Pier in George Town, the capital city of the Malaysian state of Penang. During the stopover, the crew paid a courtesy call on the speaker of the Penang legislature Law Choo Kiang and toured the Penang State Assembly Building. Some of the crew also visited the Chung Ling Private High School, where they received a "friendly" reception to mark the 50th anniversary of China's diplomatic ties with Malaysia.