China: New Opportunities for Extended Naval Operations

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei, speaking at a Dec. 16 U.N. Security Council ministerial meeting on piracy off the coast of Somalia, said Beijing is “seriously considering sending naval ships to the Gulf of Aden and waters off the Somali coast for escorting operations.” This would mark a significant development in China’s naval policies and offer the Chinese navy new opportunities for training in extended operations far from the Chinese mainland.