Tuesday, October 20, 2009
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BEIJING - China says it is making an "all-out" effort to rescue a cargo ship hijacked by Somali pirates.
The De Xin Hai ship and its 25 crew members were seized by pirates early Monday in the Indian Ocean east of the lawless Somali coastline. Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said Tuesday that China has launched a "contingency mechanism" in the wake of the hijacking and ordered Chinese missions abroad to verify developments.
It has also issued warnings to Chinese ships to stay away from the area "in case of accident or danger."
He said China will continue to make "all-out efforts to rescue the hijacked ship and personnel."
This is the first successful attack on a Chinese vessel since the country deployed three naval warships to the region last year.
Source: Cnews, Oct 19, 2009