Chinese naval hospital ship completes medical mission on South China Sea islands, reefs

Chinese naval hospital ship "Silk Road Ark" returned to a naval port in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province on Wednesday after wrapping up a medical mission on the Xisha and Nansha islands, as well as the islands and reefs off the south China coast.

Departing from Zhanjiang City in south China's Guangdong Province on July 10, the hospital ship sailed more than 3,600 nautical miles over the past 29 days, providing diagnosis and treatment for over 3,500 military personnel and residents on the islands and reefs.

"It is very inconvenient for us to get on and off the island, and it is very difficult for us to see a doctor. This medical service at the sea border has provided us with complete medical care. The medical staff offered good services and meticulous examination, which makes me feel deeply the care and warmth of our country for our officers and soldiers stationed on the islands. I will definitely carry this warmth with me, hold on to my post and defend the sea borders of our country," said Li Xiaolong, a soldier stationed on Xisha Islands.

The medical center of the hospital ship made sound patrol plan, preparing commonly used medicines, completing the annual medical checkups for the officers and soldiers, and educating the residents on common and frequently-occurring diseases.

"Through this medical service, I've seen the hardship of the officers and soldiers stationed on the islands and reefs, witnessed their difficulties in seeking medical treatment, and also felt their ardent expectation for our medical services. This has strengthened our determination to help defend their health," said Huang Zhenjun, a doctor with the hospital ship.

Meanwhile, the art team of the hospital ship traveled to each island and reef and staged wonderful shows for the military officers and soldiers.

It is the independently-developed ship's first medical mission since going into service.

With 14 clinical departments, such as orthopedics, general surgery, dermatology and gastroenterology, the ship has the capacity for eight surgeries to be performed and over 300 patients to receive treatment onboard at the same time.

Chinese naval hospital ship completes medical mission on South China Sea islands, reefs

The European Central Bank (ECB) announced on Thursday that it would slash key interest rates by 25 basis points in a bid to wind down the restrictive monetary policy.

Effective from March 12, the interest rates on the deposit facility, the main refinancing operations and the marginal lending facility will be decreased to 2.50 percent, 2.65 percent and 2.90 percent respectively, said the central bank in a statement.

The disinflation process is well on track, with headline inflation averaging 2.3 percent in 2025, 1.9 percent in 2026 and 2.0 percent in 2027, the ECB said.

The decision to keep on cutting rates came at a time when the economy in the eurozone is facing increasing uncertainties.

In its latest edition of the staff projections on Thursday, the ECB lowered its forecast for economic growth in the eurozone to 0.9 percent for 2025, 1.2 percent for 2026 and 1.3 percent for 2027.

This marks a downward revision from the ECB's forecast in December last year, which had projected 1.1 percent growth in 2025 and 1.4 percent in 2026, while the 2027 outlook remains unchanged.

The ECB attributed the weaker growth outlook for 2025 and 2026 to declining exports and sluggish investment, citing high trade policy uncertainty and broader economic instability as key factors.

ECB cuts interest rates by 25 basis points