China to supply 4 advanced warships to Pakistan given tensions with India, 1st destroyer leaves for Pak

Beijing/Islamabad: – While the tension prevails on the LAC with India, China has decided to give four destroyers to Pakistan. On Sunday, the first destroyer left from the Shanghai port for Pakistan. Only a few days ago, Pakistan Prime Minister had said that Pakistan’s future is with China and assured that it would continue to go with China even in the future. Against this background, China seems to have started moves to pressurise India, by giving advanced destroyers to Pakistan.

On Sunday, it was announced in a function held in the ‘Hudong–Zhonghua Shipbuilding’, at Shanghai, that a Type-054A/P destroyer was being sent to Pakistan. Senior officials from Chinese as well as Pakistan navy were present on this occasion. Pakistan navy has issued a statement, along with photographs, regarding this. The statement claims that the advanced destroyer there will be a manifold increase in the strength of the Pakistan navy.

Type-054A/P are known as the most advanced, among the currently operational destroyers, in the Chinese navy. The Chinese navy has 30 destroyers of this type and they are equipped with anti-ship missiles, surface to air missiles, torpedoes and advanced radar systems. This is the first instance of China giving an advanced destroyer, currently operational in the Chinese navy, to some other country. China will be giving four destroyers to Pakistan and it is being said that Pakistan will receive these destroyers by 2021. Although both the countries have not disclosed the price of the destroyers, as per the information given by the sources each destroyer is worth more than $350 million.

China handing over advanced destroyers to Pakistan, while the tension prevails on the India-China LAC, becomes significant. A few years ago, China started increasing its influence in Pakistan, by initiating the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, under its ambitious scheme Belt and Road initiative. After that, both the countries began increasing cooperation, on the military and political level and opposing India has been the mainstay of the collaboration. Pakistan has handed over the Gwadar port to China and has purchased fighter jets and submarines from China. Advanced destroyers become the next stage of the same cooperation.