First convoy formation On December 26, 2008 a PLA Navy escort set sail for the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters. [File photo/VCG] On December 26, 2008 PLA Navy Wuhan, Haikou, and Weishanhu warships sailed from Sanya to carry out escort missions in Somali waters in the Gulf of Aden. This is the first time that the People's Republic of China used military forces overseas to safeguard its national strategic interests, fulfill its international humanitarian obligations, and defend important transport routes.
