By Ankit Panda
China and Iran began a four-day naval exercise on Monday, focusing on anti-piracy and rescue operations.
For the first time ever, ships from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLAN) docked at the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas. Beijing’s sent two ships to Iran — a frigate and a missile destroyer — to participate in four days of joint naval exercises with the Iranian navy. The Changchun, a Type 052C Luyang II Chinese guided-missile destroyer and the Changzhou, a Type 054A Jiangkai II frigate, are in Iran for a “friendly visit.” The Changchun and Changzhou are PLAN ships that patrol the Gulf of Aden, securing shipping lanes in the piracy-prone region. The Iranian media marked China’s stop at the Iranian port as a reciprocal visit following an Iranian flotilla’s trip to the Chinese port of Zhangjiagang last year.
On Monday, Iranian naval commander Rear Adm. Habibollah Sayyari announced the start of planned naval exercises and wargames between the Chinese and Iranian navies. The exercise, codenamed “Velayat 3,” will take place in Iranian territorial waters and international waters off the southern coast of Iran. “The voyage of the Chinese Army’s fleet of warships for the first time in Persian Gulf waters is aimed at joint preparation of Iran and China for establishing peace, stability, tranquility, and multilateral and mutual cooperation,” notes Adm. Amir Hossein Azad, commander of Iran’s First Naval Zone.
Read the full story at The Diplomat