Published : 12/12/2025

On 12 December 1971, the Jinan (濟南艦), the lead ship of the Type 051 class and China's first-generation self-designed and manufactured guided-missile destroyer, was formally delivered to the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy for use.

The Jinan was trial-produced by the Dalian Shipyard of the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (now merged and reorganised with the China State Shipbuilding Corporation to form the China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited), with the collaboration of more than 260 factories and institutes from 22 provinces and municipalities across the country.

With a high speed, a long range, and strong anti-ship firepower, the Jinan was equipped with new equipment such as triple ship-to-ship missile launchers, high-parameter and high-power propulsion systems, and shipborne radar.

It was the largest tonnage surface combatant vessel developed by China at the time.

As a multi-purpose vessel, the commissioning of the Jinan filled a void for medium-sized surface ships in the Chinese Navy and marked China's capability to independently develop large surface combatant vessels.

The Jinan was decommissioned in November 2007 and is now on display at the Navy Museum in Qingdao, Shandong Province.