Diplomacy, not force, may expedite ship's rescue

It will be a tough mission to forcefully rescue the Chinese bulk carrier hijacked by Somali pirates ship, Chinese experts said yesterday, and diplomatic efforts may be needed.

The bulk carrier De Xin Hai was seized Monday in the Indian Ocean. The pirates have threatened to execute the 25 captive Chinese sailors should China's navy attempt a rescue.

"(A rescue mission) needs to be well prepared in equipments and personnel," said Li Wei, director of the center for counterterrorism studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations. "It is more possible to solve it by negotiations."