China has launched an advanced warship for Pakistan, the largest it has built for any country, and the first among the four most sophisticated naval platforms it is readying for the Pakistan Navy amid deepening military and strategic ties.
According to reports, the Type 054A/P, a guided missile frigate, is the largest combat ship China has sold to a foreign navy and is “an important milestone” for China’s military export sector.
The acquisition of the warship will double the combat power of the Pakistani Navy’s surface fleet, Chinese state media reported. By 2021, the Pakistan Navy is expected to have three more similar warships in its fleet.
The Chinese state-owned Hudong Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai held the launch ceremony for the advanced warship with top officials and naval officers attending the function.
The shipyard is a wholly owned subsidiary of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation, the largest builders in the country.
The ship launch took place two days after Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi discussed the situation in the Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir region with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi during the second round of the China-Pakistan foreign ministers’ dialogue in Hainan.
The development comes at a time while New Delhi is locked in tension with both Pakistan and China over disputed boundaries and the abrogation of Article 370 in the troubled valley.
India is reportedly closely monitoring the military cooperation between its two neighbours.
