China has launched the 1st of the four advanced naval warships it is building for Pakistan, amid the deepening defense ties between the two all-weather allies.The launch ceremony for the 1st warship was held at the Hudong Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai on August 23.
The defense ties between Pakistan-China turn a new chapter with the launch of the first ship of Type-054 class frigate, reported Pakistan’s state-run APP news agency.
The Type-054 class, equipped with the latest surface, subsurface, anti-air weapons, combat management system, and sensors will be one of the technologically advanced surface platforms of the Pakistan Navy fleet, said the report.
In 2017, Pakistan signed a contract with the China Shipbuilding Trading Company Ltd.for the delivery of two Type-054 A/P frigates.
The Chinese official media reported last year that under a major arms deal between the two all-weather allies, China would build 4 advanced frigates for Pakistan Navy.
The terms of the deal and the price of the ships were not revealed.
The launch of the ship coincided with the second strategic dialogue between Wang Yi, Foreign Minister of China and Shah Mahmood Qureshi, his Pakistani counterpart held at the Chinese holiday resort of Hainan on 21st August.
