Chinese hospital ship to visit Pacific to boost ‘responsible’ image

BEIJING - China is sending a military-run hospital ship to the Pacific to where it will call in at Kiribati, Tonga, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste at a time of growing competition with the United States and its allies

for influence in the region.

The 14,300 metric ton “Peace Ark”, which is bigger than a typical Chinese destroyer, will offer medical aid to Chinese citizens and residents of the countries it visits on its ninth humanitarian “Harmony Mission”, the Defence Ministry said in a statement late on Sunday.

“It is to present our image as a responsible big country,” said navy spokesman Liu Wensheng in a statement.

The ship, painted white with red crosses on its sides, was commissioned in 2008 and has sailed to more than 40 countries.

China has been building ties in the Pacific in recent years, to the consternation of the US and allies Australia and New Zealand, which have long seen the region as their sphere of influence.

China signed

a security pact with the Solomon Islands

in 2022 and hopes to build similar ties with other Pacific countries. Its Foreign Minister has said relations with the Islands can serve as a model.

The US has pledged to triple funding for the region. It

opened an embassy in the Solomon Islands

in February after a 30-year absence. It is also planning an embassy in Vanuatu.

In May, the US

opened an embassy in Tonga

and signed a defence pact

with Papua New Guinea.

REUTERS