China boasts its naval fleet capability highlighting its strong anti-piracy efforts over a decade. China emphasized that its navy has escorted around 3,400 foreign ships, 51 percent of total escorted over time, for safe maritime trips globally.
China's first escort fleet aided ships passing the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia on December 26, 2008. The fleet marked China's first deployment of its armed forces overseas to protect national strategic interests. It is also the first time that the Asian giant sent navy combat units overseas to aid in humanitarian efforts and the first time that the country protected important sea routes against pirates.
Over time, China has accomplished a lot in their anti-piracy missions. China's naval fleet has become more effective since it is currently aided by ship-borne helicopters which is able to operate three times faster and operations personnel that can be deployed twice as quickly.
The Department of Defense said that China's anti-piracy aid is widely praised. The protection that the fleet offers is sought after by foreign ships. Foreign ships are willing to wait several days to be escorted by China's naval fleet. China's naval protection increased its fame after an incident in 2010 where 21 crew of the Chinese-flagged cargo ship Tai An Kou was rescued after an intense battle by the warship 530 Xuzhou while being attacked by pirates.
From 2008 to 2011, China has sent 10 China-made battleships and three supply ships to aid and protect foreign ships in the waters Somalia. The guided missile equipped frigate, Yulin, was later added to the group two years later.
To further improve China's anti-piracy campaign, the support base Djibouti was established on July 11, 2017. It is China's first overseas support base which is designed to timely replenish the needs of the navy and to facilitate the maintenance of the equipment and a resting place for its crews.
According to records, China has currently engaged in around 40 joint military exercises with not less than 30 nations in 2018. The PLA Daily said on its new year's editorial that China top priority is to strengthen training and to prepare for war. President Xi Jinping said that China has brave thorny paths and it is confronted stormy weather over the past seventy years. He added that as he looks at the world today, China is facing a great period of major change never seen in a century. He assured that whatever the changes bring, China will remain resolute and confident in the defense of its national sovereignty and security. He added that that the country's sincerity and goodwill to safeguard world peace and promote development will remain unchanged.
