Some of the news channels in Israel and around the world reported that the Chinese Navy had deployed six warships in the region, against the backdrop of growing tensions due to the war in the Gaza Strip.

An examination shows that it is not certain that this is the story, at least at the moment. The Chinese warships are part of a force called the "44th Naval Escort Task Force" that arrived in the Gulf of Aden region (a gulf in the Arabian Sea, between Yemen on the southern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and Somalia in Africa) already six months ago in what is defined as "routine" missions that include escorting commercial ships. 

The task force includes, among other things, a destroyer, a frigate and a supply ship. Last week the Chinese ships participated in a joint maneuver with the navy of the Sultanate of Oman.

After the joint maneuver, the Chinese ships arrived on October 18 at the Kuwaiti port of Schweich and will stay there until tomorrow as planned, according to the announcement of the Chinese Ministry of Defense. The arrival of the ships in Kuwait was defined as a "visit of good will".

In Kuwait, the Chinese ships were received by over 200 people, including representatives of the Kuwaiti military, staff members of the Chinese Embassy in Kuwait, as well as Chinese citizens living in the country. 

According to the commander of the Chinese task force, this year both sides mark five years since the establishment of the strategic partnership between China and Kuwait and also a decade since China's Belt and Road infrastructure initiative. The commander of the Chinese task force expressed his hope that this visit will help "build mutual understanding and trust and promote cooperation between the two countries and the two armies."

It is possible that China will decide to deploy ships in the area due to the situation, but as of this writing, the presence of the ships in the area is not due to the war in Gaza.

***