How a hospital ship helps buoy China’s strategic mission in Africa

By the time the Chinese navy hospital ship had docked in the Guinean capital Conakry earlier this month, patients were already queuing for free consultations.The queues in front of the Auspicious Ark were so long that some people were told to come back the next day, according to Guinean media reports.The ship, operated by the PLA Navy, offers a range of medical services wherever it stops, including surgery to treat cataracts, appendicitis and hernias as well as gynaecological care. On this stop, teams were also sent to a local hospital and military camp.