Except for routine maintenance calls at its military base and dedicated port in Djibouti in connection with continuing task force operations in the Gulf of Aden, the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic all port calls in African waters. The first PLAN port call in Africa after COVID-19 took place as a training exercise in February 2023 with South African and Russian navy ships off South Africa.
PLAN visits to other African ports resumed in June 2023. Three ships--the destroyer Nanning, frigate Sanya, and supply ship Weishanhu--that had completed a tour in the Gulf of Aden continued to West Africa where they called at ports in Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, and Gabon in June and July.
China Military Online in an article dated 25 June 2023 and titled "43rd Chinese Naval Escort Taskforce Visits Cote d'Ivoire" by Tang Siyu and Wu Kangci reported the goodwill visit to Abidjan. Ghana Business News in an article dated 3 July 2023 and titled "Ghana-China Relations Deepen with Visit of 43rd Chinese Naval Escort Task Group" reported the visit to Tema Port. This Day in an article dated 2 July 2023 and titled "Three Chinese Navy Warships Visit Nigeria, Pledge Enhanced Maritime Security" by Chiemelie Ezeobi reported the visit to Lagos. China Military Online in an article dated 11 July 2023 and titled "43rd Chinese Naval Escort Taskforce Visits Gabon" by Tang Siyu and Wu Kangci reported the visit to Libreville.
Nigeria's Vanguard newspaper in an editorial dated 7 July 2023 titled "Chinese Navy's Curious Africa Tour" offered a commentary on the visits to West Africa.
After the above was posted, the ships continued to Pointe-Noire, Republic of the Congo, where they made a four day visit according to Xinhua on 17 July 2023 in an article titled "Chinese Navy's Visit Showcases Congo-China Friendship: Minister."
