Backgrounder: International community's response to piracy off Somalia

Photo taken from missile destroyer "Wuhan" of a Chinese naval fleet shows four Chinese ships sailing in the Gulf of Aden under the escort of the Chinese naval fleet, Jan. 6, 2009. The Chinese naval fleet arrived Tuesday in the waters of the Gulf of Aden off Somalia to carry out the first escort mission against pirates. Four Chinese ships, including one from China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, were escorted by the fleet. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- After successfully carrying out its first escort mission, the Chinese Navy prepares to cover another 11 domestic merchant vessels planning to travel around Somalia this week.

    "We will actively provide information and necessary rescue services for those merchant ships passing through the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters," said He Jianzhong, spokesman with Ministry of Transport (MOT).

A ship of China Ocean Shipping Group Company (COSCO) sails in the Gulf of Aden under the escort of a Chinese naval fleet (not seen in the picture) Jan. 6, 2009. The Chinese naval fleet arrived Tuesday in the waters of the Gulf of Aden off Somalia to carry out the first escort mission against pirates. Four Chinese ships, including one from China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, were escorted by the fleet. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    A governmental spokesman said on Tuesday that the naval task force will protect a total of 15 Chinese merchant ships between Tuesday and Saturday.

    Consisting of two destroyers and one supply ship, the naval fleet arrived in waters off Somali coast on Tuesday after a voyage of more than 4,400 nautical miles. It set sail on Dec. 26.

    Soon after its arrival, the fleet conducted its first escort service for four Chinese merchant vessels, including one from Hong Kong.

    The ship's cargo, origins and destinations were not released.

    Under command of the fleet's flagship DDG-169 Wuhuan destroyer, the four merchant vessels sailed in a line formation and passed through the warship's patrolling area.

    Surging piracy off the Somali coast has increasingly threatened internationals shipping. A total of 1,265 Chinese merchant ships passed through the Gulf of Aden last year. Seven were attacked by pirates.

    One Chinese fishing ship, Tian Yu 8, and its 18 crew members were hijacked on Nov. 14, 2008. They are still being held by pirates.

    The MOT announced Chinese merchant ships may ask for protection by applying to the China Shipowners' Association (CSA) and China Maritime Search and Rescue Center (CMSRC).

    According to the commander of the Chinese Naval expedition, Real-Admiral Du Jingchen, the main task for the warships is to dispel pirates with their presence.

    "We have started our escort mission and will conduct careful deployment and close contact with the vessels to secure their safety by strictly abiding by the U.N. resolutions and international laws," said Real-Admiral Du.

    The fleet is carrying about 800 crew members including 70 soldiers from the Navy's special forces along with weapons such as missiles, canons and helicopters.

    For the first phase of the escort mission, the fleet will patrol the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters for about three months, followed by possible replacement warships as needed.

Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan ships can request escort of Chinese mainland navy

    BEIJING, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- Ships from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan can request the escort services of the Chinese mainland's navy fleet in Somalian waters, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang at a regular press conference here Tuesday.

    Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan are all part of China. The Chinese government attached high importance to the safety of overseas Chinese, and the escort flotilla in Somalian waters will also protect ships from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, Qin said.   Full story

China Navy's main goal is to escort ships during Somalia mission

    BEIJING, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- A military scholar believes China is doing the right thing by dispatching a naval task force to escort ships and to protect them from pirates in waters off Somalia.  Full story

Chinese naval fleet sails into Strait of Malacca

A helicopter of the Chinese naval fleet attends a landing exercise at night on Dec. 28, 2008, while the Chinese naval fleet heads for the Gulf of Aden. The Chinese naval fleet including two destroyers and a supply ship set off on Dec. 26 for waters off Somalia for an escort mission against piracy. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    DESTROYER WUHAN, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese naval fleet sailed into the Strait of Malacca on Monday after its departure from China's southernmost island province of Hainan on an escort mission against piracy off Somalia Friday afternoon.

    The fleet sailed into Singapore Strait Monday morning after over 20 hours' voyage from the South China Sea and arrived at the Strait of Malacca. It is expected to reach the Indian Ocean Tuesday.   Full story

Chinese escort fleet to enter Indian Ocean

    ABOARD THE DESTROYER WUHAN, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese naval task force en route to the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia for an escort mission against pirates will enter the Indian Ocean on Tuesday.

    The fleet, two destroyers and one supply ship, on Monday passed through the Malacca Strait after a three-day voyage, which started from China's Hainan Province. Full story

Chinese Navy sends most sophisticated ships on escort mission off Somalia

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>>>

    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. Full story

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