Chinese, US warships converge on Middle East
Six Chinese warships have been operating in the Middle East region over the past week as the United States deploys its own carrier strike groups amid tensions in the region.
China’s Defense Ministry confirmed Sunday that six ships from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) 44th naval escort task force spent several days in the Gulf of Oman last week. The warships — which include two advanced 052D guided-missile destroyers — have reportedly been in the region since May and recently participated in joint exercises with the Omani navy in what the China government says are “routine operations.”
The ships left the Omani capital of Muscat on Saturday and are currently en route to an undisclosed destination.
Also on Saturday US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the deployment of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier and its strike group to the Persian Gulf. The naval force is the second in two weeks to be deployed by the US after the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group was dispatched to the eastern Mediterranean.
Secretary Austin ordered the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford — the world’s largest warship — to "deter hostile actions against Israel or any efforts toward widening this war following Hamas' attack on Israel." The order came two days after the October 7th attack in which Islamic forces from Gaza invaded Israel and massacred over 1,400 Israelis while managing to bring hundreds of hostages back to the Hamas-controlled Gaza strip.
In addition to the carriers — each of which can carry up to 5,000 troops, not including their strike groups — Austin has placed another 2,000 troops on prepare-to-deploy status and is sending air defense systems to the region. The defense secretary said the decision was the result of "detailed discussions with President Biden on recent escalations by Iran and its proxy forces across the Middle East.”
China has taken a decidedly frosty stance toward Israel, which is backed by the West. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has criticized Israel in the wake of the October 7th attacks while refraining from condemning the Muslim attackers. Last week China Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the Saudi foreign minister that Israel had “gone beyond the scope of self-defense” and should “stop its group punishment” of Gazan Muslims, who overwhelmingly support this month’s massacre.
Furthermore, the CCP has also joined forces with Egypt in leaning on Israel to allow “humanitarian aid” to Gaza. This is expected to further bolster Hamas, which reportedly collects over $12 million per month in taxes on imported goods from Egypt.
