UpdateIndian warship captain refuses Chinese admiral’s request to view command centre

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Admiral Wu Shengli, the commander-in-chief of the PLA Navy, speaks at the Western Pacific Naval Symposium in Qingdao. Photo: Reuters

Published: 12:30pm, 25 Apr 2014Updated: 7:26pm, 25 Apr 2014

An unusually bold demand by China’s top navy commander during a multinational naval training drill this week has raised eyebrows in India.

Admiral Wu Shengli, commander of the People’s Liberation Army Navy and member of the Central Military Commission, asked to be shown the Combat Information Centre (CIC) of an Indian frigate, Indian media reported. The CIC is the ship’s command centre.

The ship’s commanding officer, Captain Puruvir Das, declined Wu’s request citing operating procedures, The Hindu reported on Friday. The INS Shivalik hosted the Chinese navy chief on Tuesday during its port call in Qingdao, the headquarters of the PLA Navy’s North Sea Fleet in Shandong province.

“The Indian side were taken unawares by Wu’s request as it is unheard of for the chief of a navy to make a request to see the CIC of another country’s warship,” the Hindustan Times, another leading Indian newspaper, wrote.

A staff member at the Indian embassy in Beijing confirmed that Admiral Wu had visited the Shivalik on Tuesday, but had no information about Wu’s request.

The stealth frigate arrived in Qingdao on Sunday to participate in multinational training exercises involving 17 ships from eight countries. It is the Shivalik’s second visit to China. Chinese military was given more access to the ship on this occasion than during its first visit to Shanghai last year, the Hindustan Times reported.