A Chinese naval fleet comprising the Shenzhen missile destroyer and Weishanhu depot ship arrived in Cochin on Monday morning for a three-day friendship visit to India.

The Chinese fleet, when it leaves Cochin on December 1, will hold a joint military exercise in marine search and rescue with the Indian Navy.

The military exercise is the first for the Chinese navy in Indian waters with the Indian navy.

The exercise is aimed at improving the safety of maritime trade and improving search and rescue coordination at sea.

In 2003, China and India held a similar naval exercise off the Shanghai coast.

(Xinhua News Agency November 29, 2005)