A Chinese frigate sails into Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour for the start of a five-day visit.

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.

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.

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.

Speaking from Beijing, an International Crisis Group project director said the rising tensions could actually benefit the Chinese navy.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP'S PROJECT DIRECTOR OF NORTH EAST ASIA AND CHINA ADVISER, STEPHANIE KLEINE-AHLBRANDT, SAYING:

"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."

But locals who had turned out to welcome the warships had other matters on their minds, with children particularly excited by the new arrivals.

(SOUNDBITE) (Cantonese) 9-YEAR-OLD ALISSA CHAN AND 10-YEAR-OLD JACKIE CHAN SAYING:

ALISSA CHAN: "It's big, like two T-rexes."

JACKIE CHAN: "It's big, like a T-rex and a Triceratops combined."

ALISSA CHAN: "It's big like nine or 10 flying dragons, or even more than 10 flying dragons combined."

Other Hong Kong residents welcomed the opportunity to board a military ship.

The navy will host a few more opening sessions before the ship leaves for mainland China on Friday.

Nick Rowlands, Reuters.