Chinese navy training vessel visits Italy

Chinese Navy training vessel Zhenghe arrived in Italy's Taranto port Thursday for a goodwill visit, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Chinese Navy training vessel Zhenghe arrives in Italy's Taranto port, May 31, 2012. [Photo/Xinhua]

The ship docked at Taranto port at 10:30 am local time and was welcomed by 400 people, including senior Italian navy officers.

Zhenghe is scheduled to take part in a joint navy drill with Italian destroyer Andrea Doria during the visit. Chinese sailors will also visit an Italian navy base and warships.

Taranto is the fifth leg of Zhenghe's goodwill tour, which is to cover 30,000 nautical miles.

The ship, with 308 sailors on board, has already traveled 9,000 nautical miles, and it will soon cross the Atlantic Ocean and eastern Pacific Ocean, said Liao Shining, deputy chief of staff of the PLA Navy.