By Zhou Jianlong and Wang Guanbiao
QINGDAO, May 20 -- The 45th Chinese naval escort taskforce successfully returned to a military port in the coastal city of Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, after a 249-day mission, on May 17. During the mission, the taskforce completed escort tasks in the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somalia and participated in a series of joint exercises.
The taskforce traveled over 50,000 nautical miles and escorted a total of 72 Chinese and foreign vessels in 43 batches.
Comprising the guided-missile destroyer Urumqi, the guided-missile frigate Linyi and the comprehensive supply ship Dongpinghu, the 45th escort taskforce set sail from a military port in Qingdao on September 12, 2023. Throughout the mission, the taskforce effectively safeguarded the security of international maritime trade routes and maintained regional peace and stability.
In addition to its escort tasks, the taskforce visited Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar, and Seychelles. It also participated in the China-Pakistan "Sea Guardians-3" joint naval exercise in Pakistan, the China-Iran-Russia "Security Belt-2024" joint exercise in Iran, and made a technical stop in Malaysia.