00:00 As per reports, there have been as many as six Chinese warships deployed in the Middle
00:08 East during the past week.
00:10 As reported on the Chinese Defence Ministry website, the 44th Naval Squad Task Force has
00:16 been conducting regular operations on the region since May.
00:21 Last week, they had a visit to Oman during which they engaged in a joint exercise with
00:25 the Omani Navy.
00:27 According to state media reports, the task force left the capital of Oman, Muscat, on
00:32 Saturday en route for an unspecified destination.
00:36 The recent tour was the destroyer Zibo's first SCOT mission since it was commissioned in
00:41 January 2020.
00:42 The Urunshi was commissioned in early 2018 and was involved in another SCOT mission in
00:48 the Gulf of Aden two years ago.
00:51 The Type 52D destroyer carry advanced radar and electronic equipment comparable with the
00:57 US Aegis system and a 64-cell vertical missile launcher.
01:01 The naval presence means that six Chinese vessels were operating in the Middle Eastern
01:06 water as tensions mounted in the region due to Israel-Hamas war.
01:12 Following the attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, the US dispatched its advanced
01:17 carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford and its accompanying battle group to the eastern Mediterranean.
01:24 The Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group is en route to the area as well.
01:29 Additionally, the Pentagon revealed the deployment of another command ship, the USS Mount Whitney,
01:35 to the eastern Mediterranean.
01:37 Several countries including Britain, Germany and France have sent military to civilian
01:42 planes to evacuate their nationals from Israel.
01:46 China has not yet announced an evacuation plan, although its foreign ministry said that
01:50 Chinese citizens were advised to leave as soon as possible on commercial flights.
01:56 In past Chinese evacuations in the Middle East, they utilized SCOT warships similar
02:01 to those currently present in the region.
02:03 In May, China sent a supply ship, a Type 52D destroyer to Sudan to evacuate more than 1,000
02:10 Chinese, Brazilians and Pakistanis from armed conflicts.
02:15 In 2015, Chinese warships evacuated 225 foreigners and nearly 600 Chinese nationals from Yemen.
02:22 Amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, the presence of Chinese warships in the Middle East is
02:28 significant.
02:29 It could impact the safety of Chinese nationals and influence the conflict dynamics.
02:34 The US military's involvement also highlights international concern.
02:39 Monitoring these developments is crucial for understanding the evolving situation in the
02:44 Middle East.
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