WUHAN, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Construction of a littoral mission ship (LMS), the first of its kind that China will build for Malaysia, began in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province on Tuesday.

The ship, contracted by Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group under China Shipbuilding Industry Co., is the first large military equipment order between China and Malaysia, which was signed on April 21, 2017.

According to the contract, China will design and build four LMS for the Royal Malaysian Navy. The ships will be used for patrol, anti-terrorism, rescue, and escort missions.