11th Chinese naval escort taskforce returns home

The 11th Chinese naval escort taskforce of the Navy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) composed of the "Qingdao" guided missile destroyer, the "Yantai" guided missile frigate and the "Weishan Lake" comprehensive supply ship wrapped up its friendly visit to the State of Israel and left for home on August 17, 2012.

The 11th Chinese naval escort taskforce has wrapped up such tasks as the escort missions in the Gulf of Aden and waters off the Somali coast and visits to Ukraine, Romania, Turkey, Bulgaria and Israel since it set sail from Qingdao of east China's Shandong province on February 27, 2012.

The three warships of the taskforce successively left the Port of Haifa of Haifa City of Israel at 10:00, local time. Lin Li, military attaché of the military attaché's office under the Chinese Embassy in Israel, representatives of the Israeli naval officers and men, Chinese nationals and overseas Chinese saw the Chinese naval officers and men off at the pier.

The 11th Chinese naval escort taskforce concluded its escort missions in the Gulf of Aden and waters off the Somali coast on July 23 and began to pay official visits to Ukraine, Romania, Turkey, Bulgaria and Israel after sailing separately from the 12th Chinese naval escort taskforce and wrapped up its visiting missions. The 11th Chinese naval escort taskforce is scheduled to arrive at the home port in Qingdao in mid-September.