Chinese navy ships visit Port Sudan on Tuesday – army spokesperson

August 24, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) has announced that Chinese navy warships will arrive at the seaport of Port Sudan on Tuesday as part of the military cooperation between the two countries.

Despite its economic strength, the Chinese army is not a global military power that can defend the interests of the country and protect its ships across the world. However, Beijing is exploring ways to develop such strategy.

SAF spokesperson, Col. al-Sawarmi Khaled Sa’ad, said in a statement on Monday the Chinese warships would carry military delegations comprised of 800 personnel, pointing the ships will dock at Port Sudan for three days.

“The move comes within the framework of the economic, political and military cooperation between the two countries,” he added.

Sa’ad pointed that the Chinese delegations would offer social programmes and that ordinary citizens will be allowed to tour the ships.

He also said that officials from the Red Sea state would exchange visits with the visiting military delegation, calling upon journalists and media crews to cover the event.

It should be mentioned that Port Sudan had previously received navy warships from Iran, Turkey and Pakistan.

Last Thursday, the Chinese ambassador to Khartoum, Li Lianhe, underscored to Sudan’s defence minister his country’s readiness to make more efforts in order to increase the level of investments and promote wider military cooperation between the two nations.

He invited Sudan’s defence minister to attend China’s celebration of the 70th anniversary of its victory over Japan in the World War II next September in Beijing.

(ST)