Hong Kong ship full of praise for PLA Navy escort after safe passage through Gulf of Aden

Crew of LPG tanker Gas Beryl hold up banners in gratitude to North Sea Fleet destroyer

‘Thanks China’, ‘Thanks to the motherland’ and ‘Thanks to the People’s Liberation Army Navy’, flags say

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The crew of the Hong Kong-registered Gas Beryl tanker hold flags and banners as thanks to the PLA Navy escort. Photo: Weibo

Published: 8:45pm, 18 Sep 2019Updated: 8:45pm, 18 Sep 2019

Despite tensions running high between Hong Kong and Beijing after three months of protests in the southern city, there was little sign of any ill feeling between the two sides at the weekend, when a destroyer from the Chinese navy went to the aid of a Hong Kong-registered oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden.

The Gas Beryl, which transports liquefied petroleum gas, set sail from the port of Panambur on India’s west coast on September 9 bound for Yanbu in Saudi Arabia. To reach its destination it had to pass through the Gulf of Aden, which is considered one of the world’s most dangerous waterways because of the high prevalence of pirates.

Aware that a fleet from the PLA Navy was in the region, the captain of the tanker on Saturday sent a request for an escort vessel as he guided his ship through the potentially hazardous waters.

The captain of the tanker sent a request for an escort vessel as he guided his ship through the potentially hazardous Gulf of Aden. Photo: Weibo

The military vessels, which comprise a destroyer, a frigate and a supply ship from the North Sea Fleet – the naval arm of the Northern Theatre Command – had been dispatched to the region with the primary aim of protecting commercial shipping, Xinhua reported.

After receiving the request, the fleet dispatched its destroyer – the Xining – to escort the Gas Beryl to the western end of the gulf. And according to a post on the fleet’s official social media account on Sunday, the gesture was very well received.

Immediately after the operation the tanker’s crew raised three banners, saying: “Thanks China”, “Thanks to the motherland” and “Thanks to the People’s Liberation Army Navy”.