China's "Silk Road Ark" hospital ship sails to islands in South China Sea to treat soldiers

China's "Silk Road Ark" hospital ship left Zhanjiang port in south China's Guangdong Province on Wednesday on a medical mission to provide care to Chinese soldiers stationed on islands in the South China Sea.

The ship has 14 clinical departments including orthopedics, general surgery, dermatology and gastroenterology.

"After receiving the order, we took the initiative to meet the needs of front-line officers and soldiers, planned in advance, and made full preparations for supplies and procedures. All members of our medical team will treat officers and soldiers on the islands with superb technology and quality service, helping them to stay healthy," said Pu Yanhua, a medic with the Southern Theater Command First Naval Hospital.

The Silk Road Ark, China's second domestically designed and built ocean-going hospital ship in the 10,000 ton class, provides medical aid and transfer for those injured at sea, visits residents and soldiers on China's islands and carries out international humanitarian medical services, as well as conducting foreign military medical exchanges and cooperation.

"As a hospital ship, it is very maneuverable and can get to an affected area quickly to provide medical assistance services. It also has transfer capabilities through various means. When operating in areas with no ports, medics and medical supplies can be transferred ashore by helicopter and ambulance boat," said Luo Jixing, a sailor aboard the "Silk Road Ark".

"As a large ocean-going hospital ship, it will not only provide reliable medical security, but also be a strong spiritual pillar for the Chinese Navy and its sailors to travel further across the ocean," said Li Xiao, another sailor aboard the "Silk Road Ark".

China's "Silk Road Ark" hospital ship sails to islands in South China Sea to treat soldiers

The European Central Bank (ECB) announced on Thursday that it would slash key interest rates by 25 basis points in a bid to wind down the restrictive monetary policy.

Effective from March 12, the interest rates on the deposit facility, the main refinancing operations and the marginal lending facility will be decreased to 2.50 percent, 2.65 percent and 2.90 percent respectively, said the central bank in a statement.

The disinflation process is well on track, with headline inflation averaging 2.3 percent in 2025, 1.9 percent in 2026 and 2.0 percent in 2027, the ECB said.

The decision to keep on cutting rates came at a time when the economy in the eurozone is facing increasing uncertainties.

In its latest edition of the staff projections on Thursday, the ECB lowered its forecast for economic growth in the eurozone to 0.9 percent for 2025, 1.2 percent for 2026 and 1.3 percent for 2027.

This marks a downward revision from the ECB's forecast in December last year, which had projected 1.1 percent growth in 2025 and 1.4 percent in 2026, while the 2027 outlook remains unchanged.

The ECB attributed the weaker growth outlook for 2025 and 2026 to declining exports and sluggish investment, citing high trade policy uncertainty and broader economic instability as key factors.

ECB cuts interest rates by 25 basis points