PLA gets more friends

As a military service of a diplomatic nature, the Chinese Navy has always been active on the international naval stage. The Chinese warships’ voyages in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia have become a window through which the international community has gotten to know China.

Over the past 14 years, the PLA Navy escort task forces have established information sharing mechanisms and commander meeting systems with ships or flotillas from many countries, and carried out joint escorts and drills involving training courses not just limited to joint search and rescue, anti- piracy, anti- terrorism, sea passage security defense, and humanitarian aid, which are of non- traditional security characteristic, but also those of traditional security characteristics such as anti- submarine, air defense, antiship, and amphibious landing.

After an escort task force completes an escort mission in the Gulf of Aden, it usually conducts a two- month foreign visit, during which it will conduct joint exercises with foreign navies.

The exchanges between escort task forces and other countries’ navies have allowed the PLA Navy to get more friends, and have also enabled the

international community to better understand the Chinese Navy’s determination and vision to develop peacefully and safeguard peace. Zhao said that during their exchanges, foreign navies generally acknowledge the important role the Chinese Navy has played in maintaining maritime security, and they also speak highly of the good relationships of openness, mutual trust, and cooperation they have with the Chinese escort task forces.