Beijing ready to combat pirates

By Li Xiaokun (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-11-20 07:50

Pirates holding the crew of the Chinese fishing vessel FV Tian Yu 8 guard their hostages November 17, 2008 as the ship passes through the Indian Ocean. The ship was attacked November 16 in the US 5th Fleet area of responsibility and forced to proceed to an anchorage off the Somali coast. [Agencies]

No Chinese nationals were aboard.

On November 15, in the boldest strike by the Somali pirates to date, a Saudi supertanker heavily laden with $100 million worth of oil was seized off Kenya.

The tanker is three times bigger than an aircraft carrier. On the same day, a Japanese cargo ship was captured in waters off Somalia.

More than 30 foreign vessels have been hijacked in the same area this year.

Netting about $20 million in ransom this year alone, Somali pirates are said to be protected by their countrymen, Roger Middleton, an East Africa specialist at the London-based Chatham House think-tank told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

HK ship freed

Another cargo ship from Hong Kong, hijacked by the Somali pirates in September, was freed yesterday, Xinhua said.

All the 25 sailors, 24 of who are Chinese citizens, are "safe and in sound condition", the Chinese embassy in Kenya said.

The ship, owned by the China National Foreign Trade Transportation Corp, sailed off the Somali coast at 2 pm (Beijing time) yesterday, said Wei Hongtian, an official with the Chinese embassy.

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