PLA escorts Taiwan-registered ship

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) provided a historic escort to a Taiwan-registered cargo ship through Somali waters on Monday, the South China Morning Post reported. The vessel was part of a four-ship convoy comprising ships from the Philippines and mainland China. It was not known whether the ship, owned by Formosa Plastics Marine Corp, had asked directly for an armed escort or not. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said that any ships requesting assistance from the PLA Navy could apply through the mainland’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait, and the island’s Straits Exchange Foundation.