Chinese warships turn heads as they sail up the Thames

Two state-of-the-art Chinese warships sailed up the Thames yesterday as part of a goodwill tour of European ports.

The type 54A frigates Huanggang and Yangzhou cost a massive £180million each and arrived at West India Dock an hour apart on Monday.

The hulking, 135-metre ships had earlier caused a stir when seen sailing past Canary Wharf. 

Yangzhou (pictured) is named after a Chinese city and cost a massive £180million to build. Armed with cruise missiles, the ships can hit targets up to 50km away and specialise in destroying ships and submarines

Armed with cruise missiles, they can hit targets up to 50km away and specialise in destroying ships and submarines with their incredible torpedoes and rocket launchers.

But thankfully for us, they arrived in the capital from Antwerp in Belgium as part of their European goodwill tour. 

Built in China,  Huanggang and Yangzhou are named after Chinese cities and weigh 4,000 tons each, with a top speed of around 27 knots. The cannon at the front can fire 120 rounds per minute and they can house up to 165 crew members.  

This isn’t the first time Chinese ships have been in English waters.

In July, the Royal Navy escorted a flotilla of warships through the English Channel to shadow three ships as they made their way to the Baltic Sea. 

HMS Richmond was scrambled to the English Channel to shadow three ships as they made their way for the Baltic Sea. 

The ships were in London as part of a goodwill tour of European ports. They had earlier visited Antwerp in Belgium. Both ships are 135 metres long, weigh an incredible 4,000 tons and can house up to 165 crew members