国内英语新闻:Chinese naval escort task force calls at Singapore port

SINGAPORE, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Two Chinese Navy ships called at Singapore's Changi port on Sunday on their way back to China from an escort mission in the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somali.

The destroyer Wuhan and the frigate Yulin were part of the ninth flotilla dispatched by China in July to guard commercial ships in the troubled waters against pirates.

They are stopping over in Singapore for three days to replenish fuel, water and other logistic supplies, officials said.

The task force will also have exchanges with the Singapore side on anti-pirate efforts, and visit Singapore's Information Fusion Center, which is aimed to promote collaboration and information sharing in maritime security.

The Chinese sailors were received at the port in Changi Naval Base on Sunday morning by Colonel Tan Kai Cheong, commander of the 3rd Flotilla, Singapore Navy; Chinese Ambassador to Singapore Wei Wei and other Chinese diplomats, as well as representatives of Chinese companies and the Chinese community in Singapore.

Guan Jianguo, commander of the Chinese flotilla, said the task force left the port of Zhanjiang in Guangdong province on July 2. The two Chinese naval warships made port calls in Kuwait and Oman for friendly visits before stopping over at Singapore.

The Chinese flotilla escorted 280 commercial vessels, including both Chinese and foreign ships, during the five months of the escort mission in the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somali.

Sixteen of the escorted vessels were Singapore-registered.

The Chinese task force and the anti-pirate flotilla dispatched by Singapore also organized exchange visits, and the commanders of the two flotillas also met for exchanges.

The Chinese Navy ships will leave Singapore on Tuesday for their home country.