Ning Hai-class ships as Allied escorts

How useful would Ning Hai-class cruisers be if they escaped to form a Free Chinese navy in Australia?

They would make useful convoy escorts and could be converted toward an anti-aircraft destroyer role.

Their modest speed and older triple-expansion engines limit their value as fleet units. Their guns and endurance would still make them useful alongside escort carriers and convoys, especially in the Indian Ocean. Replacing their 5.5-inch weapons with 5-inch guns could improve their usefulness as anti-aircraft escorts. The small cruisers would serve as large destroyer-like convoy ships rather than front-line fleet cruisers.