China says sending ships to tackle Somali piracy

BEIJING (Reuters) - China is sending warships to the seas off Somalia to help international efforts to fight piracy there, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Thursday.

"The Chinese government welcomes international cooperation to counter piracy," Liu Jianchao told a news briefing.

"We decided to send naval vessels to crack down on Somali piracy," he said, adding preparations were "under way."

(Reporting by Ian Ransom; writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Nick Macfie)