China launched two Type 055 guided-missile destroyers on Tuesday morning, according to witnesses outside a shipyard in Dalian, Liaoning province.Chinese naval enthusiasts published pictures taken near Dalian Shipbuilding Industry and accounts of the launch on online military forums.Water started to be pumped into the dry docks where the next-generation destroyers were built around 7 am before the docks' gates were opened, witnesses said.Pictures showed a small launch ceremony at the shipyard, with hundreds of workers standing in formation in front of the two destroyers, each decorated with a huge national flag, ceremonial banners and colorful streamers.The warships were then pushed into open water by tugboats, pictures posted online show.China has now launched four Type 055 vessels; the first in June last year.?They have yet to begin sea trials.The Type 055 has a full displacement of more than 10,000 metric tons and will be equipped with new types of air-defense, missile-defense, anti-ship and anti-submarine weapons, according to the Chinese Navy.It has 112 vertical launching cells capable of firing various kinds of missiles, including China's long-range, land-attack cruise missile. Its firepower is believed to be double that of the Type 052D guided-missile destroyer, currently China's largest and most powerful surface combatant in service. custom logo wristbandssilicone wristbands bulkrubber bracelets amazonsilicone wristband usb flash driverubber bracelets custom
Chiang Pin-kung. [Photo/IC] TAIPEI - Chiang Pin-kung, former vice chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party, passed away Monday in Taipei, the KMT said in a statement. Chiang was also the former chairman of the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) and former vice president of the Taiwan-based council of the summit for entrepreneurs across the Taiwan Strait. Born in 1932, he was elected vice chairman of the KMT party and SEF chairman in 2003 and 2008 respectively. Founded in 1991 and 1990, the Chinese mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) and SEF are authorized by the mainland and Taiwan to handle cross-Strait affairs. Chiang led a KMT delegation to visit the mainland in March 2005, and in June 2008 he led an SEF delegation to hold talks with ARATS in the mainland. Heads of the ARATS and SEF conducted eight talks and signed 18 agreements to develop cross-Strait relations when Chiang served as SEF chairman. He resigned from the post as SEF chairman in September 2012.
