Somali Magazine 31 Aug 2023- After escorting civilian vessels in the Gulf of Aden and the seas around Somalia, and evacuating Chinese people from Sudan, a Chinese navy squadron has returned to the southern city of Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province.
During the mission, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s 43rd fleet, which included the guided-missile destroyer Nanning, the guided-missile frigate Sanya, and the comprehensive supply ship Weishanhu, escorted 21 Chinese and international ships.
The guided-missile destroyer Nanning and the comprehensive supply ship Weishanhu successfully evacuated over 1,000 Chinese and international personnel during the evacuation of Chinese forces in Sudan.
During its 232-day journey, the escort squad travelled almost 120,000 nautical miles and visited Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo.
China began assigning military ships to conduct vessel protection operations in the Gulf of Aden and the seas off the coast of Somalia in December 2008.