China to renew Somalia anti-piracy mission

[Coventina]

Source: Associated Press

BEIJING (AP) — China's navy will renew an anti-piracy mission to the Gulf of Aden when the current commitment expires in the coming months, a naval top officer was quoted as saying by state media on Monday.

China's three-ship anti-piracy flotilla took up its duties off the Somali coast in January on a four-month mission and new ships will be sent to take over in late April or in early May, the China Daily newspaper quoted the navy deputy chief of staff, Rear Adm. Zhang Deshun, as saying.

Zhang termed the mission thus far an unqualified success and said China was prepared for a lengthy commitment. He said new ships and personnel were prepared to take over, but some staff from the original mission would stay on to ensure continuity.

"We feel this is not a short mission. The length of the mission depends on the Somali political situation and whether Somali pirates can be eventually kept away," Zhang said.



Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i0A_U...

[theoldman]

1. The Chinese need this experience.

Nothing can be learned sitting in port.

[onehandle]

2. It will be good practice for them to learn how to keep our boats in line down the road.

Our future master's retribution against rebellion will be swift and terrible.

[Dreamer Tatum]

3. Learning to track down shanty boats armed with RPGs

is excellent practice for keeping the greatest naval force in world history in line.

[onehandle]

4. In a few short decades when the world economy is based on China's yuan...

...and China is the only superpower, our navy will resemble Russia's current rusting fleet.

[Dreamer Tatum]

5. You have a very high opinion of China's plastic-crap-based economy

Until they start building institutions that satisfy their own latent aggregate demand, they're utterly and completely dependent on us to ask for their money, so we can buy toys. If that stops, they stop. It's happening now. You think unemployment here is high?