Xi attends commissioning of Chinese naval vessels

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, presents People's Liberation Army (PLA) flag and the naming certificate to the captain and political commissar of the Changzheng-18 in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province, April 23, 2021. Xi attended the commissioning ceremony of three naval vessels, the Changzheng-18, the Dalian, and the Hainan, and boarded the vessels after the ceremony. The vessels were delivered to the PLA Navy and placed in active service on Friday at a naval port in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

SANYA, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), attended the commissioning ceremony of three naval vessels, the Changzheng-18, the Dalian, and the Hainan.

The vessels were delivered to the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy and placed in active service on Friday at a naval port in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province.

The ceremony started at around 3:30 p.m. and was attended by about 2,400 people.

Xi presented PLA flags and the naming certificates to the captain and political commissar of each of the three vessels, and posed for group photos with them.

After the ceremony, Xi boarded the vessels and reviewed the guards of honor. He also inspected the onboard weapons and equipment, greeted the officers and soldiers, and signed his name in the logs.

At the dock, Xi met with representatives of vessel researchers and naval officers and soldiers.

Approved by the CMC, the Changzheng-18 received the hull number 421, the Dalian 105, and the Hainan 31.