A Chinese escort fleet heading to the Gulf of Aden holds a ceremony while sailing through the South China Sea.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy sent its 12th batch of escort ships to the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters from Zhoushan Port, East China’s Zhejiang province on July 3 to replace a previous flotilla.

Around 800 marines in their military uniforms posed for a group photo during a farewell commemoration on the deck as they sailed through the South China Sea in an area where Chinese marines often exercise and patrol.

During the four-day sail through the South China Sea, the fleet received special training courses on the South China Sea and Sansha city.