Heads from China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) attend the signing ceremony.

BEIJING, Sept. 11 (Chinamil) -- China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) and the Royal Thai Navy held the signing ceremony of the shipbuilding agreement on exporting Type 071E landing platform dock (LPD) in Beijing on Sept 9. This is the first time for China to export abroad amphibious transport dock, or dock landing ship, and also marks a major achievement between China and Thailand in comprehensive strategic cooperation, which is of great significance for the further deepening of China-Thailand military trade cooperation and promotion of regional peace and stability. Leaders from relevant state and military departments of both countries attended the signing ceremony.

Yang Jincheng, president of CSIC, said that CSIC and the Royal Thai Navy share a long history of cooperation and yield fruitful results from this cooperation. Since the establishment of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between China and Thailand in 2012, the friendly relation between the two countries has continuously deepened, laying a solid foundation for CSIC and the Royal Thai Navy to carry out more extensive and pragmatic project cooperation. With advanced design and shipbuilding capability, high product quality and effective quality assurance system, CSIC will build this project into an "excellent project" of its military trade brand and a new example of friendly cooperation between CSIC and the Royal Thai Navy, the Chinese and Thailand governments as well as the Chinese and Thai people.

It is reported that being a specific model for international trade, Type 071E has been integrated with several major improvements and upgrades in comparison with its prototype, based on the experience and lessons accumulated through years of practice and the needs of potential foreign trade customers.It is even more advanced in technology and more powerful in comprehensive performance than the PLA’s in-commission Type 071 integrated LPD.

As for the significant advantages of Type 071E, there have been three points to make. First, it has reached the world's advanced level in terms of technology. As far as integrated operation capability is concerned, it is not left behind by any competitors. Second, its prototype, Type 071 integrated landing ship, has been serving in the Chinese Navy for many years and proven to be a mature platform. Third, compared with landing ship platforms provided by many developed countries, Type 071E is more competitive in cost performance and could be said to be of good quality and low price.