The Chinese Navy's presence in the Middle East involves 6 'highly capable vessels' stationed in...

China's navy has deployed "six highly capable vessels" to the Middle East, a feat that "a lot of countries in the world could not manage," says Bryden Spurling, a researcher with the RAND think tank.

"Though they've never been tested in conflict, these ships have significant capability and reflect the rapid growth in the sophistication of the Chinese Navy," Spurling, a former civil servant with Australia's Department of Defence, told Newsweek in a report published on Wednesday.

Six Chinese warships were stationed in the Middle East last week, per reports from China Military Online, a Chinese state-linked military news outlet.

"Six highly capable vessels in the theater at this time is a deployment that a lot of countries in the world could not manage," Spurling said.