The frigate Maanshan and the supply ship Qiandaohu sailed through the Strait of Hormuz last week and docked at Abu Dhabi for an official visit to the United Arab Emirates.
The two ships made the port call as they were returning to China after three months of anti-piracy patrols off Somalia.
The visit complicates things for the Islamic Republic, which for decades has shouted that foreign navies have no business in the Persian Gulf. Its main target, of course, has been the United States Navy, which has kept ships in the Persian Gulf continuously since 1948.
As a practical matter, no one pays attention to those complaints from Iran since the Persian Gulf is international waters and all nations have a right to sail there.
There was speculation that China might be approaching the UAE for some kind of basing rights. China has proclaimed its plans to develop a blue-water navy that can sail anywhere in the world. The anti-piracy patrols off Somalia that started in January 2009 are China’s first presence in the Indian Ocean in centuries.
To maintain an extended presence in the region, China would need access to foreign ports. That doesn’t necessarily mean a formal naval base; it could just be an agreement with a country where China can stock supplies and have a contract for fuel and water.
After Britain withdrew from the Persian Gulf almost 40 years ago, the United States was the sole non-regional country with a base there; the U.S. Fifth Fleet is headquartered in Bahrain. But last year, France opened a small base in the UAE, which the UAE sees as a statement of support for the UAE in any conflict with Iran.
