Chinese military doctors aboard the naval hospital ship Silk Road Ark provided medical services to residents of Eua Island in Tonga on Friday, as part of a humanitarian outreach mission.
Eua, located 18 kilometers southeast of Tonga's main island Tongatapu, is one of the country's larger islands. News of the Chinese medical team's arrival quickly spread, drawing plenty of locals to seek treatment.
The visiting medical team included specialists in surgery, internal medicine, pain management, dermatology, and other disciplines. After setting up their clinic, the doctors conducted thorough consultations, examined patients, and delivered on-site treatment tailored to individual needs.
"We dispatched medical teams to make rounds of visits in response to local needs, organizing multidisciplinary specialists to provide professional, meticulous, and attentive medical services, which allows more people to access the high-quality care offered by the Silk Road Ark hospital ship and extends the benefits of modern medical achievements to a broader population," said Luo Yu, a member of the team.
In addition to treating patients, the Chinese medics also met with local healthcare workers to better understand the community's health challenges. They exchanged clinical knowledge and offered targeted professional guidance to support local medical practices.
To date, the Silk Road Ark hospital ship has provided medical services to 3,995 patients, performed 679 surgeries, and conducted 2,718 medical tests in Tonga.
The Chinese naval hospital ship arrived at Tonga's Nuku'alofa Port on Monday, starting a seven-day visit featuring medical services and cultural activities during its Mission Harmony 2025.
This is the fourth visit to Tonga by a Chinese naval hospital ship on Mission Harmony.
Chinese naval medics deliver on-site care to residents of Tonga's Eua Island
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have reaffirmed that they will not seek normalization of ties with Israel, rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump's call for the two countries to join the Abraham Accords.
Saudi Arabia's position on the Palestinian issue remains unchanged, a Saudi source told Al Arabiya TV on Monday.
The source affirmed the need for "an irreversible pathway to a Palestinian state".
The remarks came after U.S. President Donald Trump urged Muslim-majority and regional countries to normalize relations with Israel and join the Abraham Accords before the U.S. reaches a peace agreement with Iran.
Saudi Arabia has repeatedly said it would not normalize relations with Israel without the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said on Tuesday that Pakistan will not join any agreement to normalize ties with Israel, adding that the country will not accept any deal that "conflicts with its fundamental ideologies".
Trump on Monday urged Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey and Pakistan -- countries involved in mediating U.S.-Iran talks -- to immediately join the Abraham Accords, warning that otherwise they should not participate in the mediation.
He added that if a U.S.-Iran deal is reached, Iran should also join the agreement.
The Abraham Accords, brokered by the United States in 2020 during Trump's first term, were established between the Israeli government and Arab countries including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco, aimed at rapidly advancing the normalization of relations between Israel and Arab countries.
Before the outbreak of the latest round of Israeli-Palestinian conflict in October 2023, the United States had been pushing for normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
After the conflict erupted, Saudi Arabia suspended normalization talks with Israel.
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan reject Trump's Abraham Accords demand
