BEIJING -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy will dispatch frigate Xuchang to Nigeria for a multilateral joint drill, a Chinese military spokesperson said on Thursday.

Xuchang is one of the PLA navy vessels currently carrying out the 46th escort mission in the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somalia.

Focusing on counter-piracy and counter-oil theft, the drill will include subjects such as vessel maneuvering, joint patrol and communications drill, said Wu Qian, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, at a press conference.

The participation of the PLA Navy in the drill will help deepen military exchanges and practical cooperation between China and relevant countries and promote the building of a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future, he said.