Equatorial Guinea negotiating Chinese frigate acquisition

Equatorial Guinea's Vice-President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue is presented with a model ship during a visit to CSSC on 5 July. (Vicepresidencia de la República Guinea Ecuatorial)

Equatorial Guinea's Vice-President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue visited China Shipbuilding Trading Company (CSSC) twice during an official tour to China that began on 4 July.

His office announced the first visit to the company on 5 July, saying it “shows the commitment of the Equatorial Guinean government to the protection of its coasts and the fight against maritime insecurity”. It released a photograph of Mangue being presented with a model of what looked like a corvette.

The ruling Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea (PDGE) reported that Mangue expressed interest in negotiating the acquisition of a frigate and radars to help secure the country's large maritime domain as well as a civilian transport vessel.

Mangue's office announced the second visit to the CSSC subsidiary Hudong–Zhonghua Shipbuilding on 9 July to “negotiate the acquisition of a frigate and a civilian ship”. The PDGE added that the frigate will have state-of-the-art technology, but an order will not be placed before establishing its price, payment terms, and construction quality.

Hudong–Zhonghua has built several warships for export customers, including Type 054 frigates for Pakistan and Type 056 corvettes for Algeria.

The Equatoguinean navy already has a frigate called Wele Nzas that was built in Bulgaria in 2012–13 and fitted out in Malabo after its delivery.