Thousands of Tongans visit military-run Peace Ark for free treatment as analyst criticises medical missions as ‘PR events’
Thousands of people in Tonga have sought medical treatment from a Chinese naval hospital ship docked in the capital, as many praised the free services provided by Beijing which come at a time of increasing competition with the US and its allies for influence in the region.
The military-run vessel staffed with doctors and nurses has spent seven days in the Nuku’alofa. Known as the Peace Ark, the ship has sailed to more than 40 countries since it was commissioned in 2008.Its current tour of the region includes Kiribati, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste. The US runs similar military medical missions and its ship, Mercy, is due to visit Solomon Islands during the Pacific Games later this year.
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