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26 December 2008 - 08H16
Chinese navy embarks on anti-piracy mission
A Chinese naval force, two destroyers and one supply ship departed from south China's Hainan Island to patrol the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia, in an effort to stave off the recent spate of pirate attacks against merchant vessels.
AFP - A Chinese navy anti-piracy task force set sail Friday for Africa, state media said, in the nation's first potential combat mission beyond its territorial waters in centuries.
The force, two destroyers and one supply ship, left a port on south China's Hainan island at about 1:50 pm (0550 GMT), the Xinhua news agency reported.
The vessels will operate alongside other international warships patrolling the Gulf of Aden, where pirate attacks against merchant shipping has spiralled in recent months.
The mission is expected to last for at least three months, according to earlier reports.
Chinese state media said that up to a thousand sailors were on board the three vessels, including a highly trained special forces unit.
China has said its warships will investigate any suspected pirate vessels, and approach them and demand that they show their relevant documents and certificates.
The UN Security Council last week gave nations a one-year mandate to act inside lawless Somalia to stop the rampant piracy in the Gulf of Aden, part of the Suez Canal route.
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