On December 26, 2008, the Chinese Navy dispatched an escort group to the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters for the first time. Over the past 15 years, the Chinese Navy has successively dispatched 45 escort squadrons, more than 150 ships and more than 35,000 officers and men to carry out escort missions, and safely escorted more than 1,600 batches of 7,200 Chinese and foreign ships, including 12 World Food Programme vessels.
The Urumqi and Dongpinghu ships of the 45th batch of escort formations of the Chinese Navy escort Chinese fishing boats (photo taken on October 20, 2023). Xinhua News Agency (photo by Wang Yuanfang)
The 23rd batch of ships of the Chinese Navy's escort group sails to replenish the ship on April 25, 2016. Xinhua News Agency (photo by Qian Hong)
The 35th batch of the Chinese Navy's escort squadron conducts targeted anti-piracy training on May 2, 2020. Xinhua News Agency (photo by Jiang Xia)
The 26th escort group of the Chinese Navy sails through the Suez Canal on September 2, 2017. Xinhua News Agency (photo by Lin Jian)
Members of the Yueyang special combat team of the 40th batch of escort formations of the Chinese Navy observe and guard during the escort (photo taken on April 2, 2022). Xinhua News Agency (photo by Tang Wen)
The escorted Chinese distant-water fishing vessel Haixin 29 hangs banners with the words "Long live the motherland" and "Long live the People's Navy" (photo taken on June 4, 2022). Xinhua News Agency (photo by Yang Jie)
The escorted ship hoisted a banner reading "Thank you to the Motherland Navy for escorting" and waved to the 42nd batch of escort formations of the Chinese Navy (photo taken on November 5, 2022). Xinhua News Agency (photo by Ma Yubin)