After its renaming, it took on a vital role as the PLA's only combat support vessel of its kind and sent minor shock waves through the military when it was decommissioned.

This met a PLAN requirement for air-defense ships to accompany the surface-warfare Type 051 destroyers.

The Type 053K was originally intended to have three screws powered by a combined gas-turbine and diesel engine, with a speed of 38 knots (70 km/h; 44 mph).

However, technical constraints forced the Chinese to settle for a diesel engine, powering two screws for a maximum speed of 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph).

The six twin 37 mm (1.5 in) short-range anti-aircraft guns were all locally controlled, severely limiting their effectiveness.

The Type 053Ks were armed with HQ-61 surface-to-air missiles, launched from two twin-armed launchers; these did not enter service until the mid-1980s.

[3] In August 2011, Liao Kaibo, then Deputy Mayor of Jiujiang Municipal Government, visited the ship in Fujian.