Chinese navy special force attend an anti-piracy drill on the deck of DDG-171 Haikou destroyer in Sanya, Hainan province December 25, 2008 in this photo released by China’s official Xinhua News Agency. The fleet — two destroyers and a supply ship — would have about 800 crew, including 70 special operations troops and will join in the multi-national patrolling of the Gulf of Aden and waters off the coast of Somalia, the official Xinhua news agency said. Picture taken December 25, 2008. Reuters/Xinhua/Cha Chunming
By People’s Daily
A Chinese naval fleet returned to east China’s port city of Qingdao in Shandong Province on Thursday after completing its mission of escorting civilian vessels in the Gulf of Aden and in the waters off Somalia.
The 42nd fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy, comprising the missile destroyer Huainan, the missile frigate Rizhao and the supply ship Hoh Xil, escorted 29 Chinese and foreign ships during the mission. Setting sail from Qingdao on Sept. 21, 2022, the escort squad travelled over 100,000 nautical miles during its 191-day voyage.
In December 2008, China began dispatching naval ships to carry out vessel protection operations in the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somalia.