DESTROYER WUHAN, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The three-ship task force of China's warships headed to waters off the Somali coast on an escort mission left China's territory on Sunday after two days and nights travel.

    It sailed across Nansha Waters on the South China Sea on Saturday after its departure from Sanya of south China's Hainan Province on Friday afternoon.

A ceremony is held before a Chinese naval fleet sets sail from a port in Sanya city of China's southernmost island province of Hainan on Dec. 26, 2008. The Chinese naval fleet including two destroyers and a supply ship from the South China Sea Fleet set off on Friday for waters off Somalia for an escort mission against piracy.(Xinhua/Zha Chunming) Photo Gallery>>>

    At the navy's routine ceremony for overseas visits, officers and soldiers swore devotion to the country, the Chinese people and the mission in the South China Sea before sailing for the Strait of Malacca.

    Sailors on board the warship DDG-169 Wuhan, a multi-purpose missile destroyer of Type 052B of the People's Liberation Army Navy, conducted military exercises Saturday.

    Rear-Admiral Du Jingchen, commander of the force, who also serves as chief of staff of the South China Sea Fleet, said on the departure day that the expedition had not been given any landing plans and the warships would not accept assignments from other countries or regional organizations.

Chinese Navy sends most sophisticated ships on escort mission off Somalia 
    BEIJING, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- The three warships forming the small fleet that set sail from Sanya in south China's Hainan Province for escort mission off Somali are among the most sophisticated vessels of the Chinese navy.

    The flagship of the fleet, DDG-169 Wuhan, is a multi-purpose missile destroyer of Type 052B of the People's Liberation Army Navy. It was built by Jiangnan Shipyard of Shanghai in 2002.

Commentary: Discreet naval deployment proves shared responsibility of world peace

    BEIJING, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- China, the most discreet permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), in response to rampant piracy in the Gulf of Aden, took an unprecedented step in deploying three naval vessels in waters off Somalia to escort merchant vessels.

    By sending off the UNSC-authorized task-force, including two of its most sophisticated warships and a supply vessel, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy has shown a subtle shift in its predominant focus of territorial defense to a focus of sharing in international responsibility.

China navy "confident, capable" in Somalia piracy mission

Photo taken on Dec. 26, 2008 shows a Chinese naval ship in the port of Sanya City of China's southernmost island province of Hainan. The Chinese naval fleet including two destroyers and a supply ship from the South China Sea Fleet set off on Friday for waters off Somalia for an escort mission against piracy.(Xinhua/Zha Chunming)Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- China's navy is confident in its task to patrol the seas off the Somali coast, a senior navy officer said here on Tuesday.

    Two missile destroyers and a support vessel will leave Sanya in the southern Chinese island province of Hainan on Friday to join the growing number of international warships fighting piracy off the east African nation's coast.

    "We don't have any insurmountable obstacles in patrolling this area," Senior Col. Ma Luping, director of the navy operational bureau under the Headquarters of the General Staff, told reporters.   Full story

UN hails naval escorting operations by China in Gulf of Aden, Somali waters

A ceremony is held before a Chinese naval fleet sets sail from a port in Sanya City of China's southernmost island province of Hainan on Dec. 26, 2008. The Chinese naval fleet including two destroyers and a supply ship from the South China Sea Fleet set off on Friday for waters off Somalia for an escort mission against piracy.(Xinhua/Zha Chunming) Photo Gallery>>>

　UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the president of the UN Security Council, Neven Jurica ofCroatia, Monday both extended their welcome to China's decision to dispatch Chinese naval ships for escorting operations in the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters, saying the Chinese move is a strong support for the global efforts to fight pirates there, a Chinese envoy said here. Full story

China decides to send navy vessels to fight pirates off Somali coast 

    BEIJING, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- China has announced that its naval deployment to the seas off Somalia to fight pirates will be of three vessels.

    Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao confirmed on Saturday evening that the taskforce would consist of three vessels, and would patrol the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia.  Full story

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