Brazil has cleared a Chinese navy hospital ship to dock in Rio de Janeiro in January, ending a months-long review that drew quiet pushback inside the country’s military, according to local media.
The approval, dated November 13 and published Tuesday in the government’s official gazette, allows the Ark Silk Road to remain in Rio from January 8 to January 15 next year. The 178 metre (584 feet) vessel operates under China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy.
Records show a United States ship will arrive that same week. The Ronald H. Brown, an oceanographic vessel, has permission to call at Suape, in Pernambuco state, from January 14 to January 21.
Named after the US’ first secretary of commerce, this is the largest research ship in the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fleet. It carries specialised gear used to study how the ocean and atmosphere interact, work that feeds into long-term climate and weather research.
The vessel has a wide range of sensors and laboratories on board and is often sent on joint projects with other US and foreign agencies.
The Chinese and US port calls come as both countries expand their naval activity in the region. The United States has stepped up missions in the Caribbean and near northern South America, including work tied to counter-narcotics patrols, while China is betting high on port operations in Latin America, particularly in Brazil and Peru.
Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has been vocal against Washington’s military buildup in the region. Last week, the leader said in a speech before the CELAC-EU Summit in Colombia that “political problems cannot be solved with guns”, offering again to mediate the escalating tensions between Venezuela and the US.
China first submitted its request to dock in September, without mentioning that it would be part of Harmony Mission 2025, the 220-day humanitarian deployment the ship is currently on.
That omission raised concern inside the Brazilian navy and the foreign ministry, local news site Poder360 reported last month. According to the report, military officers questioned the purpose of the visit, though none have spoken publicly about it.
Both bodies have declined to comment. The Brazilian Navy said it carries out only technical reviews tied to port access, safety and logistics.
The Ark Silk Road is among the largest naval hospital ships in service. It carries 300 beds, eight operating theatres and a helicopter used for medical evacuation. The ship began operations last year and is on its first extended trip abroad.
Chinese military outlets have described Harmony Mission 2025 as a medical outreach effort with stops across the Pacific and Latin America. The ship has already visited Nauru, Fiji and Tonga. It later docked in Nicaragua, the first visit by a Chinese naval vessel to the country.
Brazil has not released details about what the crew will do while in Rio.
The visit comes as Brazil has stepped up its naval engagement with China in recent years.
Defence exchanges resumed in 2023 after a pandemic pause, when a senior Chinese Navy delegation toured Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro and Manaus for talks on illegal fishing in the South Atlantic and potential technical cooperation.
It also marks the return of Chinese naval port calls in Brazil. The last major visit took place a decade ago, when the hydrographic research ship Zhu Kezhen stopped in Salvador during an oceanographic mission. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
