Chinese navy escort fleet sails to Gulf of Aden for rotation mission

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's 48th escort fleet sailed from a naval port in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, on Saturday morning to carry out escort missions in the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somalia.

The fleet comprises the guided-missile destroyer Tangshan, the guided-missile frigate Daqing, and the comprehensive supply ship Taihu.

The ships cast off their moorings and pulled away from the dock at 9:00.

"The 48th escort fleet will sail to the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somalia to replace the 47th escort fleet and carry out escort missions. The Chinese naval fleet will take concrete actions to practice the concept of building a maritime community with a shared future in maintaining safety of international sea lanes and regional peace and stability," said Jiang Bin, a spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, at a press conference in Beijing on Friday.

"Having been able to carry out this escort mission, I deeply feel the weight of our responsibility and glory of our mission. We will strictly follow the discipline and rules, hone our combat capabilities, and use the distant seas and open ocean as a vast training ground to constantly enhance our ability to carry out diverse missions," said Zhang Lei, a crew member of the guided-missile frigate Daqing.

In preparation for the mission, the fleet conducted intensive, full-spectrum, combat-oriented training exercises, including live-fire drills, convoy escort simulations, and replenishment operations.

The exercises effectively tested the feasibility of operational plans and improved coordination among units, significantly boosting the fleet's overall readiness and mission execution capability.

The PLA Navy began conducting escort missions in the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somalia in December 2008.

Li Hongzhong, vice chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, met with the European Parliament's delegation for relations with China led by chair Engin Eroglu in Beijing on Wednesday.

Li, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that China is willing to work with the European Union (EU) to strengthen communication, enhance mutual trust, deepen cooperation, and pursue mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.

He said China stands ready to join hands with the EU to address global challenges, promote exchanges and cooperation among legislative bodies, effectively utilize communication mechanisms, and advance the sound and stable development of China-EU relations.

Eroglu said the EU stands ready to work with China to contribute to the development of EU-China relations.