by Marcus Papadopoulos

CHINESE warships have been dispatched to the Gulf of Aden to help fight piracy. It is the first time that Chinese naval vessels have undertaken an operation beyond the Pacific Ocean.

Beijing deployed two of its most advanced destroyers – the Haikou and Wuhan – and a supply ship from the island of Hainan to join the ships of other navies currently patrolling the lawless waters off Somalia, where more than 40 merchant navy vessels were seized by pirates last year.

Rear Admiral Du Jincheng, commander of the Chinese South Sea Fleet whose vessels are now heading to the Somalian coast, said: “We have made special preparations to deal with pirates, even though these waters are not familiar to us.

“Our primary target is not striking them but dispelling them. If the pirates make direct threats against the warships or the vessels we escort, the fleet will take counter measures.”

At the end of last year, warships from the United States, Russian, British and German navies began patrolling the Gulf of Aden following a surge in attacks by pirates which has resulted in insurance costs rocketing in addition to losses of life among the crews of ships seized by pirates operating out of Somalia.

China’s decision to deploy warships for the first time away from home waters is being closely monitored by military analysts.

Although the capacity for war of the People’s Liberation Army has grown steadily over the past 20 years, serious reservations remain concerning its equipment which is regarded as largely obsolete.

Indeed, the PLA has been referred to by some analysts as “the world’s largest armed forces museum”.

Given that the PLA has no bases outside China, ensuring its ships are adequately supplied during their operation in the Gulf of Aden could pose a significant challenge.