Chinese navy warship spotted in South Pacific may have been on high seas resupply trial run: analysts
- PLA guided-missile destroyer Yinchuan spotted by French military in the South Pacific, far beyond the range sustainable without resupply
- Warship’s trip seen as ‘testing the waters’ for replenishment capacity on voyages further into the Pacific to protect China’s strategic interests
The PLA Navy’s guided-missile destroyer Yinchuan (hull number 175) had been sailing near the exclusive economic zone of New Caledonia, a French overseas territory in the South Pacific, about 1,500km east of Australia, according to a French defence ministry tweet on December 29.
French navy jets tracked and photographed the warship’s activities, it said.
The Chinese South Sea Fleet’s Type 052D destroyer was also spotted by French jets earlier in December to be sailing near French Polynesia, another overseas territory of France and lying further east in the central South Pacific.
The area it appeared in was tens of thousands kilometres away from the Chinese coast, and far beyond the range the 7,500-tonne destroyer could sustain without resupply, leaving aside the requirements for the return journey.
The PLA Navy’s previous navigation of such long distances usually included supply ships to provide fuel, fresh water, and other necessary provisions, carrying out what are known as “under way replenishment” operations. But this time the Yinchuan was seen sailing alone.