BEIJING • The Republic of Singapore Navy frigate RSS Intrepid received a rousing welcome from the Chinese navy yesterday at the eastern Chinese port of Qingdao, complete with brass band and guard of honour.

On hand to welcome the Singapore vessel and its personnel, including its commanding officer Lieutenant- Colonel Leon Chua, was Senior Captain Li Jun of the North Sea Fleet of the Chinese navy.

The Singapore frigate yesterday held an open house for the Chinese public as part of the 68th anniversary celebration of the Chinese navy. It will play host to Chinese navy personnel today.

The Intrepid sailed into port yesterday for a four-day visit, the first Singapore navy ship to call at a Chinese port this year. On Wednesday, it will conduct a passage exercise with the Chinese frigate Yancheng. Such an exercise ensures that navies are able to communicate and cooperate in various situations. The two vessels will also practise the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea, an agreement among some 20 nations to reduce the chance of an incident at sea.

"Such regular professional interactions and strong people-to-people ties are testament to the warm and friendly bilateral defence relationship between Singapore and China," Singapore's Defence Ministry said yesterday.

The Intrepid is on a four-week training deployment, which includes a further port call in Thailand.