China launches new ‘upgraded’ missile destroyer

Key Highlights

• The Loudi can not only conduct long-range assault and strike missions against its targets, but also defend friendly ships in defensive missions, Zhang said.
• Observers say the new ship’s addition highlights the feverish pitch at which the Chinese navy is expanding its fleet, adding a ship a month.
• According to a recent BBC report, the Chinese navy has emerged as the world’s largest, operating 234 warships compared to the US Navy’s 219 ships.
• Between 2019 and 2023, China’s four largest shipyards – Dalian, Guangzhou, Jiangnan and Hudong-Zhonghua – produced 39 warships with a combined displacement of 550,000 tonnes, according to a study by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
• With the addition of Loudi, the Chinese navy has added 11 combat vessels, including the aircraft carrier Fujian, in 2025.