Chinese naval fleet returns from escort missions, circumnavigation

ZHOUSHAN, Feb. 5, 2016 -- A naval officer kisses his child as he gets off board in a military port in Zhoushan, east China's Zhejiang Province, Feb. 5, 2016. The 152 Naval Fleet, comprised of destroyer Jinan, frigate Yiyang and supply ship Qiandaohu, returned home on Friday after escort missions in Somalian waters and a circumnavigation of the world that took them 309 days. (Xinhua/Zeng Tao)

ZHOUSHAN, Zhejiang Province, Feb. 5 -- A Chinese naval fleet of three warships returned home on Friday after escort missions in Somalian waters and a circumnavigation of the world that took them 309 days.

Comprised of destroyer Jinan, frigate Yiyang and supply ship Qiandaohu, the 152 Naval Fleet visited 18 ports in 16 countries, crossing three oceans and five continents and sailing 52,300 nautical miles.

It set a number of records in the history of the People's Liberation Army(PLA) Navy in terms of mission duration, distance covered, numbers of countries visited, and drills held with foreign navies, said PLA Navy Commander Wu Shengli at the welcome ceremony.

The fleet's achievements showed the modernization of the PLA Navy and the quality of its staff, and the voyage also deepened mutual understanding and friendship, Wu added.

The 152 Naval Fleet weighed anchor on April 3, 2015. It escorted 90 Chinese and foreign ships sailing through the Gulf of Aden.

After the escort mission, it crossed the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific oceans, holding drills with navies from Egypt, Denmark, France, the United States, Australia and Indonesia.