The SAAF Forum

Chinese naval warships on their way to Durban

The Chinese Embassy in South Africa has announced that at the invitation of the South African Navy, two Chinese Naval guided missile frigates, ZHOUSHAN (FFG 529) and XUZHOU (FFG-530) of the Chinese PLA Navy 7th Escort Task Force, will visit the Port of Durban between 4 and 8 April 2011.

A welcome ceremony hosted by the South African Navy will be held at the Port of Durban at 9am on Monday, 4 April 2011. The two Chinese frigates will be open to public from 4 - 6 April 2011. Friendly exchanges will also take place between the two navies during the visit.

The two ships are withdrawing after serving in the Gulf of Aden to help protect Chinese and foreign merchant ships from the actions of pirates. They are currently visiting the Tanzanian port of Dar es Salaam on a five-day visit, having arrived there on Saturday 26 March.

In November 2010 the 7th Escort Task Force was dispatched by the Chinese government to perform an escorting mission in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia. Their main task was to ensure the security of Chinese vessels and personnel transiting the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia and to provide protection for chartered vessels working for international organisations like WFP (World Food Program).

While undertaking the mission in the Gulf of Aden, the 7th Escort Task Force conducted safe escorting for 38 batches of convoys involving 578 merchant vessels, and effected rescues of a number of merchant ships under threat by pirates.

The frigate Xuzhou was recently dispatched to Libya to perform the escorting mission for Greek Passenger Liner VENIZELONS which was evacuating 2142 Chinese personnel from Libya.

This is not the first visit to South Africa by Chinese warships. In August 2000, Chinese navy missile destroyers SHENZHEN and NANCANG visited these shores and the South African Navy frigate SAS SPIOENKOP visited Shanghai in October 2008 as a part of the yearlong celebrations to mark the 10th anniversary of China-South Africa diplomatic relations.

As this issue went online it was not clear whether the two ships will be visiting other South African ports.

They arrived today, saw one of them in the bay having the harbour pilot transferred.