China on Monday declined to give the Indian Navy any credit for the rescue of hostages from a commercial ship pirated near the Gulf of Aden.
In response to a question, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said that at 5 p.m. on April 8, the 25th convoy of the Chinese Navy that was conducting an escort mission received a report about the hijack of the ship 0S 35, registered in Tuvalu, in the waters west of Socotra in the Arabian Sea. “Fleet vessel Yulin immediately set out after the vessel. A rescue operation started in the early morning of April 9. Under the cover of helicopters..., the Navy’s special force members boarded the ship and rescued the 19 crew members. Both the ship and the crew members are safe now.”
The Chinese Foreign Ministry’s account, which excludes any reference to Indian participation in the operation, is in sharp contrast to a statement issued in New Delhi. The Indian Navy spokesperson was quoted as saying: “In a show of international maritime cooperation against piracy, a boarding party from the nearby Chinese Navy ship went on board the merchant ship, while an Indian naval helicopter provided air cover for the operation. It has been established that all 19 Filipino crew members are safe.”
After getting a distress call, the Indian Navy sent its warships INS Mumbai and INS Tarkash. The Chinese Navy also responded to the call by moving in its missile frigate Yulin. Somali pirates attacked the ship while it was travelling from Kelang in Malaysia to the port city of Aden in Yemen.
In Beijing, Ms. Hua the Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the rescue marked China’s fulfilment of its regional obligations as a “major country”. “We believe... the formation of the operation demonstrated the effectiveness of the Chinese naval force in fighting terrorists, as well as China’s image as a responsible major country safeguarding regional peace and stability.”
She did not give any additional detail when asked about India’s participation in the rescue. “I have already given you what I have learnt.”
