April 26, 2026

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's hospital ship Silk Road Ark returned to a military port in Sanya, South China's Hainan Province on Sunday after completing Harmony Mission-2025, its first mission outside China and the longest of its kind, Xinhua News Agency reported. A Chinese military expert highlighted the vessel's advanced technology and comprehensive medical capabilities as a purpose-built platform, adding that the mission showed China's sense of responsibility as a major country, with the PLA Navy's growing strength benefiting the international community through overseas medical services.

Lasting 234 days and covering about 36,000 nautical miles, the mission was the eleventh Harmony Mission since 2010. It was also the longest one in the series and marked first time the Silk Road Ark  had sailed beyond China's borders since entering service, Xinhua reported.

According to the report, the vessel departed Quanzhou in East China's Fujian Province on September 5, 2025, visiting Nauru, Fiji, Tonga, Jamaica, Barbados and Papua New Guinea to provide medical services, and visiting Brazil and Chile for medical exchanges. The ship also made technical port calls in countries including Nicaragua and Uruguay.

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