BEIJING: China is building the first of four “most advanced” naval warships for its all-weather ally Pakistan as part of a major bilateral arms deal to ensure among other things “balance of power” in the strategic Indian Ocean, state media reported.
Equipped with modern detection and weapon systems, the ship will be capable of anti-ship, anti-submarine and air-defence operations, China Daily quoted state-owned defence contractor China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) as saying.
The under-construction ship is a version of the Chinese Navy’s most advanced guided missile frigate, it said. The CSSC did not specify the ship’s type but said it is being constructed at its Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard in Shanghai.
China is the largest supplier of weapon systems to Pakistan. Both the countries also jointly manufacture JF-Thunder, a single engine multi-role combat aircraft. The ship’s class is Type 054AP, which means it is based on the Type 054A of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, the report quoted the Pakistani Navy as saying. The Pakistani Navy previously said four such ships had been ordered, according to the report.
Once constructed, the warship “will be one of the largest and technologically advanced platforms of the Pakistani Navy and strengthen the country’s capability to respond to future challenges, maintain peace and stability and the balance of power in the Indian Ocean region,” the report said.
It will also support the Pakistani Navy’s initiative of securing sea lanes for international shipping by patrolling distant waters, the daily quoted the CSSC as saying. The mention of the Indian Ocean is significant as China, which has already taken over Pakistan’s strategic Gwadar port under the multi-billion ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor, looks to assist the Pakistani Navy to restore the balance of power in India’s backyard. China recently denied a New York Times report that it finalised a plan to build advanced fighter aircraft under the CPEC in Pakistan, adding a military dimension to it.