China commissions surveillance frigate

The People's Republic of China has commissioned a long-range surveillance frigate to boost its presence in the South China Sea, the Xinhua news agency reported on Saturday.

The frigate Yueyang, put into service with the South China Sea Fleet of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, is also capable of air defense and antisubmarine operations.

At a ceremony held in Sanya, a port city in south China's Hainan Province, South China Sea Fleet Commander Jiang Weilie endorsed a PLA flag and naming certificate for the naval unit that received the frigate, the agency said.

According to a white paper published recently, the PLA Navy has been training combined task forces comprising new types of destroyers, frigates, ocean-going supply ships and shipborne helicopters to increase it blue-water capabilities.