China naval fleet leaves for Somalia

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Source: CCTV.com | 12-26-2008 15:09

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A fleet of Chinese Navy ships has left for its escorting mission off the coast of Somalia, as part of international efforts to fight rampant piracy in the area.

A fleet of Chinese Navy ships has left for its escorting  mission off the coast of Somalia, as part of international  efforts to fight rampant piracy in the area.

The fleet is composed of 2 destroyers, Haikou and Wuhan, and a supply ship, the Weishanhu. All 3 are from the South Sea Fleet, and are carrying about 800 crew, including 70 soldiers from the Navy's special force. They are equipped with missiles, cannons and light weapons. The ships embarked on their journey at about 2 PM on Friday afternoon,from a port in China's southernmost city of Sanya. They will join multi-national forces currently on patrol in the Gulf of Aden and waters off the coast of Somalia. The fleet's commander, Rear-Admiral Du Jingcheng, says their primary task is to safeguard vessels passing through the waters. Du Jingcheng says all members of the crew are confident they will be able to carry out their mission.

Editor:Liu Anqi