The Chinese naval hospital ship Peace Ark on its Harmonious Mission-2023 arrives at the Port of Nuku'alofa, Tonga on July 28. (Photo by Xu Wei)
NUKUALOFA, July 31-- On July 28, 2023, the Chinese naval hospital ship Peace Ark on the Mission Harmony-2023 arrived at the Port of Nuku'alofa, Tonga for a seven-day goodwill visit.
The Tongan side held a grand welcome ceremony at the wharf. Tongan Prime Minister Hu'akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni, Tongan military and political officials, Chinese ambassador together with representatives of overseas Chinese in Tonga, attended the ceremony.
Besides the diagnosis and treatment services provided onboard, the hospital ship will send medical personnel to conduct academic exchanges on war wound rescue and joint diagnosis and surgery with counterparts from the Tongan side. Meanwhile, several Chinese medical teams will take the medical ambulance helicopter equipped with the ship to local hospitals, villages, and communities for medical services. Health education and cultural exchanges will also be carried out in some local schools.
In addition, the two navies will hold joint training exercise in waters outside the port.
It is learnt that this is the third visit for ship Peace Ark to Tonga. It successfully visited Tonga in 2014 and 2018 respectively, bringing medical services for nearly 10,000 local people in total.
