China Sends Warships to the Middle East

The type 052D guided missile destroyer Guiyang of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy participates in a naval parade to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of China’s PLA Navy in the sea near Qingdao, in eastern China’s Shandong province on April 23, 2019. China sends warships to the Middle East as tensions because of attacks by Houthis continue to loom.

China has sent a guided-missile destroyer to the Gulf of Aden as part of an anti-piracy mission amid tensions over Houthi rebel attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea

Setting sail from Zhanjiang, a coastal city in Guangdong province, the 46th fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy embarked for the gulf on Wednesday.

The deployment is occurring amid the Houthis’ continuing attacks on commercial vessels passing through the Red Sea, an action in support of Palestinians following the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza. The Houthis are a Shiite movement involved in a protracted conflict with Yemen’s Sunni-majority government.

Meanwhile, China’s commercial vessels have come under attack from the Houthis, and some companies have used call signs to indicate their links to China.

Assigned to replace the 45th naval fleet, this latest deployment is part of China’s ongoing efforts to secure the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somalia, a region critical for international shipping but plagued by piracy,

The 46th Fleet’s naval mission includes the guided-missile destroyer Jiaozuo, the missile frigate Xuchang and the comprehensive replenishment vessel Honghu, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Collin Koh, a senior fellow at the Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies at Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, said on X (formerly Twitter) that this is China’s first anti-piracy mission of the year.

“PLA Navy dispatches yesterday first new counter-piracy mission of 2024 from Guangzhou, the 46th Escort Task Force debuting destroyer Jiaozuo, whereas frigate Xuchang and fleet replenishment oiler Honghu are old-timers,” Koh wrote on Thursday.

Xinhua reported, “The 46th fleet, equipped with over 700 officers and soldiers, including special forces personnel, and two helicopters, aims to continue China’s contribution to international maritime security by ensuring the safe passage of ships in these strategic waters.”

This statement underscores the critical nature of the mission, which extends beyond piracy suppression to ensure the stability of global trade routes.

China has criticized U.S.-led airstrikes on Yemen, though its non-condemnation of Houthi attacks on commercial vessels reflects a broader strategy that seeks to balance its commercial interests with geopolitical ones.

Last month, China and Iran held discussions in which Beijing told Tehran to rein in the Houthi rebels. Iran, one of the Houthis’ regional allies, is believed to have supplied weapons to the rebels as part of the country’s ongoing proxy conflict with Saudi Arabia.

Chinese state media have said the latest mission will train for scenarios such as rescuing hijacked commercial ships.

“In preparation for the mission, the fleet conducted meticulous analysis and made detailed plans,” Xinhua reported. “It also carried out targeted training for scenarios such as the rescue of hijacked commercial ships, the combating of terrorists and pirates, and the underway replenishment.”

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