A Chinese frigate sails into Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour for the start of a five-day visit.<br/> <br />The warship was accompanied by a destroyer - together they represent two of the Chinese navy's main battleships, according to the People's Liberation Army.<br/> <br />The visit comes at a time of heightened tension in the strategically important and resource-rich South China Sea, following a joint U.S.-Philippines drill recently that prompted China to warn Washington from getting involved in the area.<br/> <br />But the deputy chief of staff of China's South Sea Fleet said that joint military exercises at sea are normal, and that he did not believe the U.S.-Philippines drill was targeting any particular country.<br/> <br />Speaking from Beijing, an International Crisis Group project director said the rising tensions could actually benefit the Chinese navy.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (English) INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP'S PROJECT DIRECTOR OF NORTH EAST ASIA AND CHINA ADVISER, STEPHANIE KLEINE-AHLBRANDT, SAYING:<br/> <br />"In China, the South Sea Fleet, which is the one responsible for the South China Sea, has traditionally been the least well-endowed of all the three fleets. And so these tensions in the South China Sea is the perfect justification for their modernisation."<br/> <br />But locals who had turned out to welcome the warships had other matters on their minds, with children particularly excited by the new arrivals.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (Cantonese) 9-YEAR-OLD ALISSA CHAN AND 10-YEAR-OLD JACKIE CHAN SAYING:<br/> <br />ALISSA CHAN: "It's big, like two T-rexes."<br/> <br />JACKIE CHAN: "It's big, like a T-rex and a Triceratops combined."<br/> <br />ALISSA CHAN: "It's big like nine or 10 flying dragons, or even more than 10 flying dragons combined."<br/> <br />Other Hong Kong residents welcomed the opportunity to board a military ship.<br/> <br />The navy will host a few more opening sessions before the ship leaves for mainland China on Friday.<br/> <br />Nick Rowlands, Reuters.
