CHINESE CARGO VESSEL AND CREW RESCUED FROM SOMALIAN PIRATES

BEIJING, Dec 29 (Bernama) -- A Chinese cargo vessel and its 25 crew members,
held hostage by Somalian pirates for 71 days, were rescued through a combined
effort led by the Chinese Marine search and rescue centre at 3am Monday.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Jiang Yu said the vessel, "De Xin Hai" was now
under the protection of the Chinese naval escort fleet.

He said the fleet would escort the ship to safe waters and ensure their safe
return to China soon after the crew were given medical check-ups and a supply
of provisions.

"De Xin Hai" which belongs to Qingdao Ocean Shipping Co. Ltd, was hijacked
in the Indian Ocean by Somali pirates on Oct 19.

The vessel, carrying 76,000 tonnes of coal from South Africa, was on its way
to India when it was hijacked.

After the incident, the Chinese government instructed the relevant
departments and enterprises to carry out a rescue mission while ensuring the
safety of the ship and its crew members.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry also reminded Chinese vessels to keep away
from dangerous waters and take precautionary measures to avoid such an incident
from recurring.

Meanwhile, China's Ministry of Transport again asked Chinese shipping
companies and their vessels and crew to strengthen self-protection and
self-rescue measures in an effort to prevent hijacking by pirates.

-- BERNAMA