China Joins Battle against Somalia Pirates

Countries like China, which are dependent on Gulf of Aden trade lanes, are beginning to stand up against pirates.

China's navy will send two warships to Somalia to protect Chinese vessels and crews from pirate attacks. China's navy will send two destroyers, the 169 Wuhan and the 171 Haikou, and a supply vessel, the 87 Weisanhu. The ships will leave the island province of Hainan in southern China on Dec. 26, 2008.

Piracy has taken a costly toll on international shipping, especially in the Gulf of Aden, one of the world's busiest sea lanes. Spurred by widespread poverty in their homeland, the pirates have made an estimated $30 million hijacking ships for ransom this year, seizing more than 40 vessels off Somalia's 1,880-mile (3,000-kilometer) coastline.

The Chinese government said approximately 20 percent of the 1,265 Chinese ships passing along the Somalia’s coast have come under attack this year, and seven of the hijackings have involved either Chinese ships or crews.

Though Beijing has a huge global commercial maritime presence, the People's Liberation Army Navy has primarily focused on defending China's coast and, until now, limited operations abroad to port calls, goodwill visits and exercises with other navies.