The Peace Ark’s latest voyage is the ninth in a series of “Mission Harmony” operations that began in 2010. It has provided hospital services to countries in Africa, the Caribbean, South America, South Asia and Southeast Asia.
The hospital ship has 26 clinical departments and equipment such as an endoscope to obtain images of internal organs and devices to perform cataract surgery, the navy said.
These will allow the medics on board – mostly from the Naval Medical University in Shanghai – to perform more than 40 types of medical exams and operations, including gynaecological and orthopaedic, in the seven days when the ship is berthed at each of the five Pacific nations.
“The Peace Ark will provide free diagnosis and treatment of common diseases for the local people, Chinese personnel there, local residents of Chinese descent, overseas Chinese nationals and other groups,” the navy said. “High-level visits, on-deck receptions, and cultural and sports exchanges will also be held.”
The ship is commanded by Rear Admiral Zhao Guangqing of the East Sea Fleet’s support department, and Rear Admiral Li Xinke from the fleet’s political work department, whose task it is to burnish the image of the PLA.
Since 2010, the ship has provided hospital services to countries in Africa, the Caribbean, South America, South Asia and Southeast Asia. Photo: Reuters
China signed a security agreement with the Solomon Islands in 2022 that allows Chinese naval ships to make port visits to resupply, and Chinese police to train the Solomons police force. The pact has alarmed the United States and allies such as Australia, which has traditionally played the role of keeping peace in the Solomons.
Richard Marles, Australia’s deputy prime minister and defence minister, met Solomons Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare last week in the Pacific nation, after which Sogavare’s office said there was a need to review the Australia-Solomons security treaty in light of “the changing security challenges faced by both countries”.
In the past few years, the southwestern Pacific has emerged as another theatre of US-China rivalry. In Kiribati and the Solomons, Beijing-friendly forces and those sympathetic to Taiwan – which the US classifies as a “major non-Nato ally” – are divided along party lines. After they broke ties with Taiwan, Beijing increased investment in both countries’ infrastructure.
Papua New Guinea meanwhile agreed in May to give US troops “unimpeded access” to sites including military bases and seaports, allowing them to reinforce bases in the second island chain, which includes the US territory of Guam.
