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Defence diplomacy
Sri Lanka
2024
In December 2024, the Chinese naval hospital ship Peace Ark arrived at Colombo for a seven-day goodwill visit and medical service during Mission Harmony-2024, including medical services and military-medical / cultural exchanges.
The Sri Lanka Navy officially received a former Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy frigate in a handover ceremony at the Shanghai Dockyard in China on June 5.
In August 2017, a Chinese naval formation consisting of the destroyer Changchun, guided-missile frigate Jingzhou and supply vessel Chaohu conducted a live-fire drill in the waters of the western Indian Ocean.
The Chinese naval hospital ship Peace Ark arrived in Colombo on August 6, for a four-day visit to provide medical services and conduct exchanges, marking its first visit to the country.
In June, the PLA Navy task force (Changchun, Jingzhou, Chaohu) arrived in Colombo, initially for a goodwill visit but pivoted to provide disaster relief following severe flooding.
In March 2025, China delivered a second advanced Hangor-class submarine to Pakistan, bolstering its naval capabilities in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean; the delivery is part of a broader $5 billion deal which includes eight submarines and four modern frigates.
In May 2023, China delivered two Type 054A/P frigates to Pakistan, indicating that all four warships of this class have been commissioned into the Pakistan Navy.
A high-powered Pakistani delegation comprising senior military officials from all three services – army, navy and air force – including Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa visited China from 9-12 June for the meeting of Pakistan China Joint Military Cooperation Committee (PCJMCC).
PLAN and Pakistan Navy conducted Sea Guardians-2 - a four-day maritime exercise at a military port in Wusong, Shanghai on 10-13 July, which included the participation of including the participation of guided-missile frigates Xiangtan (Hull No. 531) and Shuozhou (Hull No. 610), the comprehensive supply ship Qiandaohu (Hull No. 886), and one submarine, one early warning aircraft, two fighter jets and one helicopter from the PLAN and the Pakistan Navy sent the Frigate Taimur to participate in the exercise.
PLAN and Pakistan Navy held Sea Guardians-2020 joint naval exercise from 6-14 January with the participation of Chinese platforms including he guided-missile destroyer Yinchuan (Hull 175), the guided-missile frigate Yuncheng (Hull 571), the comprehensive supply ship Weishanhu (Hull 887), and the submarine rescue ship Liugongdao (Hull 865), and two Zulfiquar-class F22P/F21 frigates, two fast attack craft (FAC), one fixed-wing anti-submarine patrol aircraft, two ship-borne helicopters from Pakistan side joining the exercise.
On 8-12 February, AMAN-19, the 6th edition of the biennial Pakistan-led multinational naval exercise was held in Karachi and the North Arabian Sea with the theme "Together for Peace". 46 countries including the US, the UK, China were part of it.
The Aman-17 naval drills involving Australia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, Pakistan, Russia, Sri Lanka, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States were held off the Karachi coast till February 14.
The 4-day "Peace-17" multinational maritime joint exercise began on 10 February in Karachi, and its adjacent sea areas and saw the participation of ships, aircraft and special operations forces from China, Russia, Pakistan, US, Australia and other countries.
On 1 January, Chinese Navy (PLAN) and Pakistan Navy completed thie joint exercise for the first time in East China Sea from 31 December 2015 to 1 January 2016.
In November, Chinese frigate Handan arrived in Karachi for joint drills (15-21 November) with Pakistan Navy, which included harbour and sea phases designed to strengthen bilateral relations.
The opening ceremony of the International Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise (IMMSAREX) of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) was held in November 2017, in the waters near Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh, where the PLA Navy sent its guided-missile frigate Yuncheng for the exercise.
The 7th annual trilateral exercise, Maritime Security Belt 2025 involving China, Russia and Iran was held near the Iranian port of Chabahar, Iran, in March and included anti-piracy, search-and-rescue, and naval combat exercises.
From June 2024 to January 2025, the PLA Navy hospital ship Peace Ark conducted Mission Harmony-2024, visiting 13 countries including Djibouti and Sri Lanka to provide humanitarian medical services, while also making port calls in France and Greece.
On 27-29 December, China, Russia, and Iran conducted four-day joint naval drills, Marine Security Belt, in the Gulf of Oman and the northern Indian Ocean.
Eleven Chinese warships sailed into the East Indian Ocean this month amid the political crisis in the Maldives, with China calling it an annual rescue training exercise in the area.
Three Chinese naval vessels--destroyer, Chang Chun, frigate, Jing Zhou and supply ship, Shao Hu--were in Maldives for joint exercise with the Maldivian National Defence Force (MNDF) in August.
Chinese Research Vessel Xiang Yang Hong 09 was docked in Male for the first time in February in an effort to strengthen marine cooperation between Maldives and China.
Chinese Research Vessel Xiang Yang Hong 01 was in Male open to the public in November. The vessel, reportedly, was on a mission to conduct surveys in the southern part of the Eastern Indian Ocean, including physical oceanography, marine chemistry and marine optics.
Following the signing of a defence agreement by China and Djibouti in 2014, allowing the PLAN to use Djibouti Port and therefafter in 2016, China began to develop "support facilities" for the exclusive use by PLAN.
The PLA Support Base in Djibouti carried out a four-day joint training exercise code-named "Cooperation 2025.04.FAD" with the Djiboutian military from 27-30 April.
The Chinese PLA Support Base in Djibouti held its first comprehensive joint air, land, and sea training exercise with the Djiboutian military in Djibouti on 27-29 October.
A new flotilla consisting of Type 052DL guided-missile destroyer Tangshan (F122), Type 054A guided-missile frigate Daqing (F576) and Type 903A replenishment ship Taihu (K889) reached Djibouti in November for a 10-month tour of duty and will be based at the Project 141 Overseas Support Base at Doraleh in Djibouti.
Following the signing of a defence agreement by China and Djibouti in 2014, allowing the PLAN ti use Djibouti Port and therefafter in 2016, China began to develop "support facilities" for the exclusive use by PLAN. China's deal with Djibouti reportedly includes "a 10-year, $20 million-per-year contract to lease the site, with facilities that could house 'a few thousand" personnel.'"
Three Chinese warships--destroyer, Chang Chun, frigate, Jing Zhou and supply ship, Chaohu-- were in Djibouti on a four day visit, leaving Djibouti on 1 July.
