Across China: Beijing

Mission swaps ships

The Chinese Navy will send three advanced ships today to replace the current anti-piracy fleet in the Gulf of Aden near Somalia.

The three ships - guided missile frigates Zhoushan and Xuzhou, as well as the large supply vessel Qiandaohu - are under the command of the Navy's East China Sea Fleet based in Ningbo, Zhejiang province. The fleet is scheduled to leave today from a naval base near Zhoushan.