China may send warships to Somalia coast

Beijing's move to possibly send naval vessels to the Gulf of Aden comes as pirates are prevented from taking over a Chinese commercial ship.

China signaled Wednesday that it may send warships to help fight pirates off the coast of Somalia, a sign of Beijing's increasing willingness to flex its military muscle.

Although China has participated in United Nations peacekeeping operations in Africa, its navy has seldom left the Pacific region. The Global Times, a newspaper tied to the ruling Communist Party, called the possible deployment China's "biggest naval expedition since the 15th century."

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