Two Chinese naval vessels have docked in North Korea for a rare goodwill visit marking 50 years of friendship between the two countries.

Associated Press television footage showed North Korean citizens lining the dock at the port of Wusan on Thursday for the arrival of the training ship Zheng He and the frigate Luoyang.

Greetings were exchanged between Vice Admiral Tian Zhong, commander of China's northern fleet, and North Korean Rear Admiral Kim Myong Sik. The two officers reviewed honor guards and laid flowers at a statue of North Korean founder Kim Il Sung.

The Chinese vessels traveled to North Korea from the Russian city of Vladivostok, where they participated in celebrations marking the 315th anniversary of the Russian navy.