On 13th October, the Government of Tonga held a welcome ceremony to greet the visit of the hospital ship "Silk Road Ark" to Tonga. Around 200 guests attended, including Chinese Ambassador to Tonga, H.E. Mr. Liu Weimin, Acting Prime Minister, Hon. Taniela Fusimalohi, the diplomatic corps, and representatives of the Chinese community and people from all walks of life in Tonga.

In his speech, Acting Prime Minister Hon. Taniela Fusimalohi warmly welcomed the hospital ship’s visit to Tonga, emphasized that this visit would bring health and hope to Tongan people. Tonga looks forward to strengthening cooperation with China in the medical field and bringing more benefits to the two peoples.

Ambassador Liu said that China will take the hospital ship’s visit to Tonga as an opportunity to deepen health cooperation and military-to-military relations between our two countries and promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.  

Senior Captain Peng Guliang, Commander of Mission-2025, stated that the Silk Road Ark will provide professional medical services and comprehensive care for Tongan people, promote China-Tonga friendship, and contribute to taking China-Tonga relations to new heights.

During this visit, Silk Road Ark will provide free diagnosis and treatment of common and frequently-occurring diseases for Tongan people. It will also conduct activities such as courtesy calls and exchanges, professional seminars, cultural and sports exchanges, and joint exercises with relevant departments of Tonga.