免费日韩片_欧美成人精品一区二区男人小说_国产乱码一区二区三区四区_国产精品国产三级国产aⅴ入口_成人看的污污超级黄网站免费_欧美一级在线免费观看_成人午夜免费无码福利片_国产乱人伦偷精品视频色欲_aaa少妇高潮大片免费看_国产精品1234_亚洲精品国产suv一区88_中文字字幕在线中文无码_精品亚洲区_午夜九九九_国产av国片精品jk制服丝袜_色综合亚洲_亚洲成av人片无码bt种子下载_欧美色就色_精品少妇的一区二区三区四区_男人用嘴添女人下身免费视频

National

Regional

Taiwan, HK, Macao

Special Coverage

Focus

Society

Profiles

Chinese naval fleet sails into Gulf of Aden

By Wang Hui and Du Wenjuan (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-01-06 14:56

China's anti-piracy naval fleet sailed into waters off Somalia on Tuesday, starting a three-month mission to protect passing ships against pirates. The Ministry of Transport has also started accepting escort requests from Chinese vessels.

Full Coverage: Global War against Pirates Related readings: Taiwan ships 'can ask for mainland escorts' off Somalia Fleet conducts at-sea replenishment Navy mission nears Strait of Malacca Naval fleet sets sail for Somalia

The Chinese convoy, alongside other international warships, will patrol the area near the Gulf of Aden, a busy shipping lane leading to and from the Suez Canal.

Chinese mainland registered or invested ships set to sail through the Gulf of Aden can now hand in applications for escort to the China Shipowners' Association, which will pass on the request to the Ministry of Transport. The ministry will provide information about the vessels seeking help to the Chinese fleet on a daily basis.

Vessels from China's Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan can also seek escorts from the warships, according to an announcement by the Ministry of Transport.

Chinese naval soldiers attend a national flag-raising ceremony on the deck of destroyer "Haikou" on the way to the Gulf of Aden, January 1, 2009. [Wang Hui/chinadaily.com.cn]

The Hong Kong Marine Department has passed seven applications from Hong Kong-flagged vessels to the mainland requesting protection off Somalia, Hong Kong media reported on Monday.

The arrival of the Chinese fleet was welcomed by Hong Kong ship owners, Hong Kong's Marine Director Roger Tupper was quoted as saying.

"[The protection of] Hong Kong-flagged vessels will be facilitated," Tupper said.

The Chinese flotilla will also protect ships carrying humanitarian relief supplies for international organizations, such as the World Food Program.

Foreign ships can also apply for escort; the Chinese side will make a decision, pending actual conditions, the Ministry of Transport said.

The convoy, consisting of two missile destroyers and a supply vessel, departed on December 26, 2008 from Sanya in south China's Hainan Province. It is the country's first naval deployment on a potential combat mission beyond its territorial waters in recent history.