Chinese fleet returns after training in West Pacific

A Chinese Naval fleet has completed the year's first open-sea training exercise in the West Pacific Ocean. It returned to the port city of Qingdao on Friday.

The fleet conducted a joint anti-submarine exercise and the exercise took 18 days.

Sun Bo, deputy commander of Navy Training Formation, said:" Dangerous situations can happen at any moment, so the formation must be fully prepared to face any complicated emergency at sea at any time."

The maritime fleet is comprised of three ships: the DDG-113 Qingdao destroyer, and two frigates, the FFG-53 Yantai and FFG-546 Yancheng, which carry three helicopters. They are all from the North China Sea Fleet under the People's Liberation Army Navy.

More than 700 naval officers and soldiers participated in the exercise. The exercise completed drills in 20 areas including comprehensive attack formations and coordinated ship-helicopter Anti-Submarine Warfare. The training worked on organizing mobile operations, defending maritime rights and other targeted training.

Song Yongtao, political commissar of Navy Training Formation, said:" The training tested and enhanced our crew members' morale and preparedness."

The fleet sailed through the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, the Miyako Strait, the Bashi Channel and the waters off the eastern coast of Taiwan. The journey covered more than 58 hundred nautical miles and lasted for more than 400 hours.