PLA Naval fleet patrols Diaoyu Islands

MISSILE DESTROYER LANZHOU - A two-vessel fleet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy patrolled the territorial waters surrounding the Diaoyu Islands on Wednesday morning.

Missile destroyer Lanzhou and missile frigate Hengshui, both from the Navy's Nanhai Fleet, entered the sea area via the Miyako Strait on Tuesday night.

The vessels conducted open-sea offense and defense training as well as exercises of intercepting and searching illegal vessels in the western Pacific Ocean on Sunday and Monday.

Wednesday's patrol by the Nanhai fleet ships came after vessels from the PLA Navy's Beihai Fleet and Donghai Fleet had previously patrolled the Diaoyu Islands waters.