On Monday 14 July EU Naval Force warships FGS Brandenburg and ESPS Relampago rendezvoused with Chinese Navy ships CNS Chang Chun and CNS Chaohu at sea in the Gulf of Aden and carried out naval procedures together.
The EU Force Commander, Rear Admiral Jürgen zur Mühlen, took the opportunity to welcome the Commander of the Chinese Naval Escort Task Group, Rear Admiral Huang Xinjian, on board his EU flagship, FGS Brandenburg. During lunch they discussed the on-going piracy threat and the importance of coordinating naval activites in the piracy risk areas.
Speaking about the visit, Rear Admiral Jürgen zur Mühlen stated: “The meeting at sea with my Chinese Navy counterpart underlines how much our counter-piracy forces have in common in the international fight against piracy. Face to face meetings such as this help to foster mutual understanding.”