By Cui Xiaoyang and Tang Lei

BEIJING, April 16 -- On April 15, 2026, the Chinese PLA Navy's hospital ship Silk Road Ark (Hull 867), which is on the Mission Harmony 2025, successfully concluded its goodwill visit and medical services in Papua New Guinea and departed from Port Moresby for China.

Papua New Guinea marks the final stop of the Mission Harmony 2025 by the Silk Road Ark. During its visit there, the hospital ship provided medical treatments to a total of 5,635 local residents and overseas Chinese, performed 361 surgical operations, conducted 3,082 ancillary medical examinations, and admitted 16 inpatients.

In addition to delivering high-quality medical services, the hospital ship hosted a deck reception. Chinese naval sailors played a friendly basketball game with service members of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force, visited the Butuka Academy, a China and Papua New Guinea friendship school, and the Basilisk Naval Base, and conducted academic exchanges with the School of Medicine & Health Sciences of the University of Papua New Guinea.