Somalian pirates capture Chinese ship

China is making an "all-out" effort to rescue a cargo ship hijacked by Somalian pirates, a government spokesman said Tuesday.

The De Xin Hai ship and its 25 crew members were seized by pirates early Monday in the Indian Ocean about 1,100 kilometres east of the lawless Somalian coastline.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said China has launched a "contingency mechanism" in the wake of the hijacking and ordered missions abroad to verify developments and notify relevant countries.

It has also issued warnings to Chinese ships to stay away from the area "in case of accident or danger."

"We will continue to follow closely the developments and make all-out efforts to rescue the hijacked ship and personnel," he said, without elaborating on details.

Chinese warships patrol area

It is the first successful attack on a Chinese vessel since the country deployed three naval warships to the region last year. A previous attack on a Chinese vessel last year was repelled when the crew used homemade Molotov cocktails to fight off their attackers.

A spokesman with Qingdao Ocean Shipping Co., Ltd., which owns the vessel, said the company is working on comforting the families of those kidnapped. He declined to give his name because he was not authorized to speak with media. He said the company was working with the Transport Ministry and other relevant ministries.

China's anti-piracy mission was the first international combat mission for China's navy outside of its home waters. Countries as diverse as Britain, India, Iran, the U.S., France and Germany have naval forces in the waters or on their way there.

Spurred by poverty in Somalia, pirates have made an estimated $30 million US hijacking ships for ransom last year, seizing more than 40 vessels off the African nation's 3,000-kilometre coastline.

Somalian pirates have recentlystepped up attacks after a period of quiet during poor weather. They use sophisticated equipment and so-called larger "mother ships" to enable them to strike hundreds ofkilometres offshore. The multimillion-dollar ransoms they share are a fortune in their impoverished and war-ravaged country.

A total of 146 people, including the crew of the De Xin Hai, are currently being held hostage by pirates.