Beijing: State media in Beijing has intimated that diplomacy is the best way to resolve the stand off with Somali pirates who hijacked a Cosco bulker in the Indian Ocean on Monday. The 72,000 dwt De Xin Hai was seized with 25 Chinese seafarers onboard.
'It will be a tough mission to forcefully rescue the Chinese bulk carrier hijacked by Somali pirates ship, Chinese experts said Wednesday, and diplomatic efforts may be needed,' state run China Daily said Thursday morning.
China's Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that an all-out effort is underway to recover the hijacked ship and that it was still ongoing. It did not confirm whether warships had been sent to rescue it, though various newswires have reported Chinese naval ships in the region have been deployed to tack down the ship and were steaming towards it yesterday.
The pirates were planning to sail the hijacked De Xin Hai ship to either Haradheere or Hobyo, both former fishing villages north of Mogadishu that have become pirate bases, according to Reuters.
Meanwhile, China has warned domestic shipping lines to keep away from the area where Somali pirates hijacked the Cosco ship three days ago. [22/10/09]
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