Monday, October 23, 2023

WW3.0
China says ‘stop groundless hype’ about naval deployment to Middle East


October 23, 2023


A general view of naval weaponry on a Task Group 162 Chinese warship on July 4, 2023 [PIUS UTOMI EKPEI/AFP via Getty Images]




Amid growing speculation that China has deployed six warships to the Middle East while Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza risks spiralling into a wider regional war, the spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, Liu Pengyu, has called for an end to “groundless hype” about the move.

The six warships, including a guided-missile destroyer, have been operating in the Middle East since last week as part of a joint exercise with the Royal Navy of Oman.

“The fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy set sail for an escort mission and is paying friendly visits to relevant countries,” Liu told Sputnik yesterday, stressing that, “The relevant parties should respect the facts and stop groundless hype.”

A report by Israel’s Ynet News yesterday notes that, “It is still unclear whether this task force is returning to China or staying in the region. The concerns that have arisen on social media since this morning appear to be excessive and reflect a heightened sensitivity in Israel.”

READ: Israel’s actions in Gaza ‘beyond scope of self-defence’

Meanwhile, Washington is deploying the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier strike group to the Persian Gulf amid an escalation of attacks on US forces in the region by Iranian-backed resistance groups in Iraq and Syria. Furthermore, the Houthi-led forces in Yemen claimed to have successfully targeted Israel, despite reports of their missiles being intercepted by a US Navy guided-missile destroyer, the USS Carney.

The USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group is currently positioned in the Eastern Mediterranean as a deterrent to any third parties that might consider joining the conflict against Israel, according to the Pentagon. Washington is concerned primarily about Hezbollah.

The Lebanese resistance movement has been stepping up attacks against Israeli military positions across the border. It claims to have killed 40 Israeli occupation soldiers and destroyed 10 Merkava tanks and four troop carriers since 7 October, the day when Hamas-led Operation Al-Aqsa Flood was launched.

China's PLA deployed six warships in Middle East amid Israel-Hamas war: Reports

 22 Oct 2023, 

The development comes at a time when the US has sent USS Gerald R Ford, its most advanced carrier, along with a battle group to the sensitive West Asia region.

 A Chinese warship fires towards the shore during a military drill near Fuzhou near the Taiwan controlled Matsu Islands that are close to the Chinese coast, China, April 8, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo (REUTERS)

China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) has deployed six warships in the Middle East as tensions escalate in the region due to the ongoing war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas, reports said.

The six warships, which include the Zibo, a Type 052D guided-missile destroyer, the frigate Jingzhou and the integrated supply ship Qiandaohu, were part of the PLA's 44th naval escort task force that recently took part in a joint military exercise with Oman

The warships left the Muscat shores on October 14 for an undisclosed destination, the Chinese state media reported.

The development comes at a time when the US has sent USS Gerald R Ford, its most advanced carrier, along with a battle group to the West Asia region. Washington is also assisting Israel with A-10 Warthog and F-15E attack planes, along with the latest munitions as the Benjamin Netanyahu-led regime continues its offensive on Gaza.

Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping on October 19 reiterated Beijing's long-held view that supports the creation of a sovereign state of Palestine. This is "the fundamental way" out of the war, the state media reported him as saying.

“The top priority now is a ceasefire as soon as possible, to avoid the conflict from expanding or even spiraling out of control and causing a serious humanitarian crisis," Jinping said.

The war erupted on October 7, hours after fighters of Palestinian militant group Hamas raided locations in southern Israel, and fired hundreds of rockets. The Hamas attacks, according to the Israeli government figures, have claimed the lives of over 1,400 persons, including soldiers and civilians. The attack, claimed the Hamas leadership, was in retaliation to the “killing of civilians and worshippers" in Jerusalem and rest of West Bank in recent months, and the raids carried out by Israeli forces at Al-Aqsa mosque – the third-holiest site in Islam.

Israel has, since October 8, snapped the food, water and fuel supplies of the besieged Gaza Strip, which has a population of 2.2 million. The country has launched a spree of bombings over the past two weeks, which, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, has killed over 4,300 persons including more than 1,400 children.

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