Marking a significant milestone in Indian Ocean diplomacy, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy guided-missile destroyer Tangshan (Hull 122) arrived at Port Victoria for a five-day friendly visit. The visit serves as a highly visible celebration of two major diplomatic anniversaries and underscores Beijing’s evolving naval outreach strategy in Africa.
The arrival of the Tangshan, which is currently deployed with the 48th Chinese naval escort taskforce, was precisely timed. This year marks both the 50th anniversary of Seychelles’ Independence and the 50th anniversary of formal diplomatic relations between Beijing and Victoria. To honour the occasion, the Chinese military presence went beyond a standard port call. A 30-member foot formation of Chinese sailors selected from the Tangshan marched in Seychelles’ National Day military parade, marking the first time a Chinese military contingent has ever participated in the island nation’s independence celebrations. While docked, the crew hosted professional military exchanges, deck receptions and opened the advanced warship to local citizens and tour groups to share insights into their counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden. According to China’s Ministry of National Defence, the public engagement was met with warm enthusiasm by locals, who noted that the warship’s presence highlighted the “deep friendship” and strategic mutual trust built between the two countries over the last half-century.
The Tangshan is one of the premier assets of the PLA Navy, belonging to the advanced Type 052D class. Often compared functionally to American Aegis-equipped destroyers, it boasts formidable multi-role capabilities. It is designed for fleet air defence, anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface strike operations, utilizing advanced Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar systems for long-range tracking. Its main firepower comes from a 64-cell Vertical Launch System capable of firing a mix of surface-to-air, anti-ship and land-attack cruise missiles. Since late 2025, the Tangshan has been leading the 48th escort fleet—alongside the frigate Daqing and supply ship Taihu—maintaining maritime safety, conducting helicopter drills and securing critical Sea Lines of Communication against piracy in East African waters.
Seychelles sits at a critical maritime crossroads in the western Indian Ocean, a region seeing intense geopolitical attention from China, India and Western powers. By sending a frontline combatant like the Type 052D for high-profile public relations, Beijing is demonstrating its capability to project soft power and hard logistical presence simultaneously. Officials from China’s Ministry of National Defence emphasized that visits like this are foundational to building what they call “an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future.”
