President Xi Jinping witnessed the commissioning of three of the People's Liberation Army Navy's latest vessels in Hainan province on Saturday.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended the commissioning ceremony at a naval base in Sanya and conferred military flags and naming certificates to commanders of the CNS Changzheng 18, the CNS Dalian and the CNS Hainan.

After the ceremony, the president boarded the Changzheng 18, the Dalian and the Hainan, talking with commanders and crew members and inspecting the equipment.