In 1931, the Japanese Harima shipbuilding company laid down two mini-cruisers—Ning Hai and Ping Hai—for the needs of the Chinese Navy, both based on cruiser Yūbari. Ning Hai was built in Japan and became part of the Chinese fleet in 1932. Both Chinese cruisers were sunk by Japanese aircraft at the start of the Sino-Japanese War in 1937. Between 1938 and 1943, Ning Hai served as floating barracks in the Sasebo Naval Arsenal. In 1944, she was repaired and converted into an escort ship named Ioshima. On September 19, 1944, the former Chinese cruiser took a torpedo hit from USS Shad and sank.