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'Stop groundless hyping," China comments on navy deployment to Mideast

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
23 Oct 2023 05:55

The spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington says the fleet of the Chinese PLA Navy is paying friendly visits to relevant countries.

Chinese and Omani naval officers pictured during the PLA Navy's visit to Muscat, Oman. (Eastern Theatre)

The spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington, Liu Pengyu, called for an end to groundless hyping of the deployment of Chinese warships to the Middle East amid the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.

Six Chinese warships, including a guided-missile destroyer, have been operating in the Middle East since last week, which included a joint exercise with Oman's navy, media reported.

"The fleet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy set sail for escort mission and is paying friendly visits to relevant countries," Liu made it clear in a statement to Sputnik on Sunday, stressing that "the relevant parties should respect the facts and stop groundless hyping."

According to media reports, the Chinese navy has been involved in routine deployments to the Middle East since May, particularly to conduct escort missions for shipping.

It is noteworthy that since the start of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, Beijing has expressed its readiness to play a role in injecting certainty and stability into the Middle East region and the world, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza to stop the war as soon as possible in order to prevent its expansion.

Liu's statement comes shortly after US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced on Sunday that the United States will deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-ballistic missile defense system, as well as additional Patriot battalions in the Middle East to enhance the security of US forces.

Austin confirmed in a statement that he "activated the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery as well as additional Patriot battalions to locations throughout the region to increase force protection for U.S. forces."

In addition, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group will be moved to the Central Command area of responsibility to join the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, which is currently operating in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, the statement read.

The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group aircraft carrier is making its way into the Mediterranean to support the Israeli aggression on #Gaza. pic.twitter.com/o7dvP61neW
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 10, 2023

The US defense chief also ordered additional troops to be placed on standby "to increase their readiness and ability to quickly respond as required." However, he did not say how many additional US troops would be deployed to the region.

Austin claimed that said in a statement that the moves were in response to "recent escalations by Iran and its proxy forces across the Middle East."

He added that "these steps will bolster regional deterrence efforts, increase force protection for U.S. forces in the region, and assist in the defense of Israel."

In a related context, Bloomberg reported that Russia is set to send aircraft equipped with hypersonic missiles, which surpass the speed of sound, toward the Black Sea.

The news website said Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the deployment of these aircraft and the initiation of round-the-clock patrols and ongoing missions over neutral waters in the region.

Putin explained to journalists in Beijing, following talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, that the aircraft are of the MiG-31 type armed with Kinzhal missiles, with a range of over 1000 kilometers at a speed of 9 Mach.

According to state-run Russian news agency TASS, the Kinzhal represents Russia's most recent development, consisting of hypersonic aero-ballistic missiles deployed on specifically modified MiG-31K interceptor aircraft. The Kinzhal missile possesses qualities such as reduced radar detectability and exceptional agility, making it capable of engaging both land and sea targets.

"This is not a threat, but we will exercise visual control — control with weapons — over what is happening in the Mediterranean Sea," he pointed out.