Chinese Warship Shows Up Amid Rising US-Iran Threat of War

China dispatched a warship to the Persian Gulf for a visit as tensions between Iran, Beijing’s strategic partner, and the United States continue to grow over the nuclear program of Tehran.

The Chinese naval port call in the United Arab Emirates, a vital U.S. security partner, comes ahead of President Donald Trump’s scheduled visit to the Gulf country next week, where the Middle East is his administration’s focus on diplomacy and regional security cooperation.

Newsweek has reached out to the White House for comment by email. The Chinese Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a Newsweek written request for further comment.

Why It Matters

China deployed the 47th naval escort task force, consisting of the destroyer CNS Baotou, the frigate CNS Honghe, and the supply ship CNS Gaoyouhu, to the Gulf of Aden in December last year. This came as the nearby Red Sea was attacked by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

Beijing and Tehran have formed what they called a “comprehensive strategic partnership” to promote cooperation in military and other fields. China, which is a key buyer of Iranian oil, was recently targeted by U.S. sanctions as its private refiner purchased crude oil from Iran.

While Trump halted the bombings in Yemen unexpectedly, he continues to threaten Iran with the use of force unless a nuclear deal is reached. The Pentagon has also increased its military deployment near Iran, including the presence of two aircraft-carrier strike groups.

What To Know

The Baotou, which is a Type 052DL destroyer, on Sunday arrived in Abu Dhabi for a five-day “replenishment and maintenance period” in the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, according to a post on X, formerly Twitter, by the Chinese state-run newspaper China Daily.

A Chinese chamber of commerce based in the Gulf country claimed that the destroyer has what it called “powerful antiaircraft, anti-ship, and anti-submarine comprehensive combat capabilities,” making the 7,000-ton warship an “all-around warrior guarding the sea frontier.”

Meanwhile, the rest of the naval escort task force, the Honghe and Gaoyouhu, was spotted in the Arabian Sea on Sunday, said open-source intelligence researcher @MT_Anderson on X. They were operating less than 60 miles from the American aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson.

The Honghe and Gaoyouhu conducted a “multi-subject training” in the Gulf of Aden, which links the Red Sea with the Arabian Sea, in early April. The Baotou executed an escort mission for a sailing boat that departed from China in the region, the Chinese military said.

The Chinese naval escort task force has helped Beijing in expanding its military reach and presence. The previous 46th task force was deployed for 339 days, which saw the vessels perform escort missions, as well as port visits and exercises, in Asia, Africa, and Europe.

The Baotou‘s visit comes after a Pentagon assessment report, which said China is very likely considering and planning for additional military facilities in a number of countries, including the United Arab Emirates, located near the Strait of Hormuz, to support its force projection.

What People Are Saying

Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Chinese Defense Ministry, said: “The [People’s Liberation Army Navy] task groups conduct routine escort operations in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia. The recent deployment has nothing to do with the current situation in the [Red Sea] region. China will continue to act on the Global Security Initiative, safeguard international sea lanes and provide reliable escort to Chinese and foreign ships.”

The Pentagon’s Chinese military power assessment report read: “This naval [escort] activity demonstrates the [People’s Liberation Army Navy]’s increasing familiarity with the area, hones its ability to operate in far seas, and enables the [People’s Liberation Army Navy] to advance military diplomacy efforts by conducting port calls in Africa and the Middle East.”

What Happens Next

It remains to be seen whether the current Chinese naval escort task force will conduct any exercises or port visits beyond its assigned operating area in the Gulf of Aden in the future.