18th Chinese naval escort taskforce sets sail

The picture shows the Chinese amphibious dock landing ship "Changbaishan" is setting sail. The 18th naval escort taskforce under the Navy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLAN) sets sail from Zhanjiang to the Gulf of Aden at 09:00, August 1, 2014. (Chinamil.com.cn/Zeng Xingjian)

The 18th naval escort taskforce under the Navy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army sets sail from a naval port in Zhanjiang, south China's Guangdong province, to the Gulf of Aden and waters off the Somalia coast at 09:00 on August 1, 2014, to take over the escort mission of the 17th Chinese naval escort taskforce.

Du Jingchen, deputy commander of the PLA Navy, came to the port to see off and address the 18th naval escort taskforce.

The 18th Chinese naval escort taskforce consists of the amphibious dock landing ship "Changbaishan", the guided missile frigate "Yuncheng" and the comprehensive supply ship "Chaohu Lake". In addition, three ship-borne helicopters, nearly 100 special operation members and over 800 officers and men were on board.

It is the first time for the "Changbaishan" ship to execute an escort mission. The "Chaohu Lake" ship is currently executing the escort mission with the 17th Chinese naval escort taskforce and it will continue to execute escort missions with the 18th escort taskforce.

Zhang Chuanshu, deputy chief of staff of the South China Sea Fleet, and Zhou Minggui, political commissar of a destroyer flotilla, will assume the commander and political commissar of the taskforce respectively.

It is learnt that since December 26 of 2008, the PLA Navy has dispatched 17 taskforces to execute escort missions on a regular and continual basis. They have safely escorted 5,670 Chinese and foreign ships, and successfully rescued, protected and helped over 60 Chinese and foreign ships. They also cooperated with navies of different counties and have successfully deterred the pirates' savage activities.