China said Tuesday that a fishing vessel seized by armed men off the coast of Somalia has been safely freed, stressing that attempts to damage relations between Beijing and Mogadishu “are bound to fail.”
In a statement, the Chinese Embassy described the hijacking as a “blatantly vicious act” that endangered both crew members and international maritime traffic.
The embassy said Chinese authorities acted swiftly and coordinated closely with Somalia’s federal government and officials in the semiautonomous Puntland region, where the incident occurred, to secure the vessel’s release.
Beijing reaffirmed that it will take “all necessary measures” to protect the lawful rights and interests of Chinese nationals and companies overseas, while continuing cooperation with relevant partners to safeguard maritime security.
“Any attempts to undermine or disrupt China-Somalia cooperation are bound to fail in vain,” the embassy said, emphasizing what it called the long-standing friendship between the two countries.
According to the diplomatic mission, the Somali government reiterated that Chinese fishing vessels operating in Somali waters do so with official authorization and in accordance with domestic laws.
Mogadishu also underlined that it takes China’s security concerns seriously and is prepared to expand collaboration in mutually beneficial sectors, including fisheries.
China said it will continue working with Somalia to deepen their strategic partnership across multiple fields.