NATO allies track Chinese warships to and from Russia

At least five NATO members last month dispatched sea and air assets to track two Chinese ships on a 13,000-nautical-mile round-trip voyage from the Horn of Africa to Russia.

Photographs released by the British Navy on Saturday confirmed that it had shared surveillance duties with Belgium and France as the Chinese destroyer Jiaozuo and supply ship Honghu sailed across the Atlantic to the Baltic Sea en route to St. Petersburg.

THE Jiaozuo is a Luyang III-class destroyer, while the Honghu It is a Fuchi-class supply ship. Both are assigned to China’s South Sea Fleet in the South China Sea.

The ships, as well as the Jiangkai-II class frigate Xuchanghave been deployed in the Gulf of Aden since February as part of the Chinese navy’s non-stop anti-piracy patrols, which began in 2008.

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The British Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond kept the 7,500 tons Jiaozuo and the 23,400 tonnes Honghu “firmly under surveillance” as they cruised the UK twice in three weeks, the Royal Navy said, using the English Channel, the Dover Strait and the North Sea to reach Baltic waters.

Photos taken from the bridge of Richmond and from its embarked AW101, a torpedo-carrying anti-submarine helicopter also known as the “Merlin”, showed the British warship tracking the Chinese ships from a distance.

Also present at various times during the escort were the D’Estienne d’Orves class patrol boats of the French Navy. Commander Blaisonand the Castor-class patrol boats of the Belgian Navy Pollux And Beaveraccording to a press release.

In early July, ship observers saw the Chinese flotilla entering the Baltic Sea, followed by a Danish patrol boat.

THE Jiaozuo It was then photographed sailing to St Petersburg and mooring at Lieutenant Schmidt Quay on the Neva River before taking part in the Russian Navy Day parade on July 28.

Images released by the Portuguese Air Force late last month show that it also escorted the Chinese ships off its coast. Aircraft tracking data suggests that a P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft from the coastal city of Figueira da Foz was tasked with the mission.

Portugal said it has identified 15 Russian and two Chinese vessels in its exclusive economic waters this year.

China’s Defense Ministry did not respond to a written request for comment before publication.

After leaving St. Petersburg, the Chinese ships “headed straight for the Dover Strait,” the Royal Navy said. The 17-nautical-mile-wide waterway separates the English Channel from the North Sea and is the shortest distance between England and France.

International maritime law allows coastal states to claim territorial waters up to 12 nautical miles from the coast. Foreign warships granted “innocent passage” through these waters are prohibited from firing weapons, conducting surveillance operations or launching aircraft, among other activities.

Commander Richard Kemp, the RichmondRoyal Navy Commander John F. Kennedy said in a statement: “Close monitoring of foreign vessels in British waters is a routine activity for the Royal Navy and ensures their compliance with maritime law and respect for UK sovereignty.”

“By maintaining a visible and persistent presence, the Royal Navy demonstrates our commitment to the NATO alliance and to maintaining maritime security which is crucial to our national interests,” Kemp continued.

The two Chinese ships, which stopped at the Moroccan port of Casablanca en route to Russia, appeared to be heading towards the Gulf of Aden, where the only Chinese frigate was located. Xuchang remained there, according to recent state media reports.