(An FA18 Hornet takes off from the USS Ronald Reagan during the Valiant Shield 2006 naval exercises off Guam in the Pacific Ocean, Wednesday, June 21, 2006. The Reagan is one of three U.S. aircraft carriers taking part in the exercises, the largest the U.S. has held in the Pacific since the Vietnam War. Photo: AP)

A Chinese delegation returned to Beijing Wednesday night after observing a large-scale U.S. military exercise in Guam.

It was the first time that Chinese military personnel had been invited to observe a war game conducted by the U.S. Army.

The 10-member delegation, together with delegations from six other countries, observed the "Valiant Shield-06" exercise that started on Sunday.

Six of the Chinese delegation were officers from the Army, the Air Force and the Navy, including three generals, while the other four were diplomats or journalists.

It was reported that three aircraft carrier fleets took part in the exercise, involving a total of 30 warships, 280 aircraft and 22,000 service personnel.

"The fact that the Chinese delegation was invited to observe the U.S. war game is a positive step in China-U.S. military ties, " said Zhang Leiyu, head of the Chinese delegation.

"The visit helped the Chinese side obtain a better understanding of U.S. weapons, training skills and exercise arrangements," said Zhang, deputy chief of staff of the Navy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.

The drill was a good platform for the two armed forces to communicate and learn from each other, Zhang said.

In 2003 and 2005, China invited U.S. military personnel to observe exercises conducted by Chinese troops.