Chinese destroyer Haikou arrives at the Port of Algiers in Algiers, capital of Algeria, Jan. 7, 2018. The guided-missile destroyer Haikou and the guided-missile frigate Yueyang, two warships of the 27th Chinese naval escort taskforce, arrived in Algiers on Jan. 7 to start a four-day visit to Algeria. (navy.81.cn/Liu Xin)
ALGIERS, Jan. 9 (ChinaMil) -- Two Chinese naval ships arrived in Algiers, capital of Algeria, for a four-day friendly visit on Jan. 7, local time.
The guided-missile destroyer Haikou and the guided-missile frigate Yueyang, entered the Port of Algiers at around 10 a.m. on Monday morning.
The welcoming crowd at the dock included the Charge D'Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Algeria He Hongyan, Chinese military attaché Pan Tao, staff members of the Chinese Embassy, representatives of Chinese-funded institutions and overseas Chinese.
The two Chinese warships belong to the 27th Chinese naval escort taskforce dispatched from the South China Sea Fleet of the PLA Navy.
During the four days staying in Algiers, the Chinese naval escort taskforce will host a deck reception,commanding officers of the taskforce will call on senior officials of the Algerian Navy and visit the Navy Academy of Algeria. Algerian naval soldiers will be invited to visit the Chinese warships, and sailors of both sides will hold friendly basketball and football matches.
The 27th Chinese naval escort taskforce set sail from Sanya, a port city in the island province of Hainan in south China on Aug.1, 2017, bounding for the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia, and took over the merchant ship escort mission from the 26th Chinese naval escort taskforce on Aug. 23.
Four months later, after a mission handover with its successor, the 28th Chinese naval escort taskforce on Dec. 26, the taskforce left the Gulf of Aden to begin its visit to foreign countries.
The 27th Chinese naval escort taskforce provided escort for 54 Chinese and foreign ships in 36 groups and warned away 42 suspected pirate vessels during the four-month-long mission period. Algeria is the first stop of the taskforce’s foreign port calls.