A fleet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy ended a 79-day voyage and arrived this port city in east China's Shandong Province on Tuesday, after visiting four ports in the US, Canada and the Philippines.

At 10:00 AM, a grand ceremony was held at the Navy port, to welcome the fleet, composing the missile destroyer, Qingdao, and the depot ship, Lake Hongze, with 506 officers and men on board.

On August 21, the fleet left Qingdao Port, since then, it traveled 17,000 sea miles and successfully passed through three typhonic centers.

During the journey, Chinese and the US navy held their first joint maritime exercise.

(China.org.cn, Xinhua News Agency November 8, 2006)