Chinese warships start anti-piracy Somalia mission

BEIJING, Jan 6 (Reuters) - A Chinese naval mission to tackle rampant piracy in the seas off Somalia has begun with a destroyer escorting four vessels, the official Xinhua news agency said on Tuesday.

The three Chinese ships and one from Hong Kong were being led by the destroyer Wuhan, one of the Chinese navy's most sophisticated warships.

"The protection mission has begun," Xinhua quoted commander Rear Admiral Du Jingchen as saying in a brief report.

"We will earnestly follow United Nations' resolutions and related international laws, meticulously organise, strengthen coordination and keep close watch to ensure the security of the vessels and crew being protected," he said.

The Chinese force, consisting of two destroyers and a supply ship, left China late last month. The ships have about 800 crew, including 70 special operations troops, aboard.

A surge in attacks at sea this year in the busy Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean off Somalia has pushed up insurance costs, brought the Somali gangs tens of millions of dollars in ransom and prompted foreign warships to go to the area.

While China's growing wealth and influence have seen it involved in a number of peacekeeping operations around the world, it has traditionally kept troops close to home, reflecting a doctrine of non-interference in other nations' affairs.

But the Somalia mission is an opportunity for China to take a greater role in global security without raising hackles from neighbours, many of whom, including Japan, have long-festering territorial disputes with Beijing, analysts have said. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Paul Tait)