BEIJING, December 04, SPA --China should send naval ships tohelp wipe out Somali pirates menacing commercial vessels offAfrica, a prominent Chinese military strategist said, urging hisnation to take a higher profile in such operations, Reuters reported. Major-General Jin Yinan's comments may reflect growing debateabout combating the rising piracy in a country which hasgenerally confined its growing naval strength to waters nearhome. Jin told a Chinese radio interviewer that "nobody should beshocked" if his government one day decided to send navy ships todeal with the pirates, whose recent victims have included shipsfrom mainland China and Hong Kong. "With China as a major world economy, it's very difficult tosay that security problems across the world have nothing to dowith us," Jin said in the interview reprinted by the China NewsService (www.chinanews.com.cn), an official agency, on Thursday. Jin, head of a strategy institute at China's National DefenceUniversity, gave no sign that such naval action was underimminent consideration. But he said China's growing clout made itincreasingly likely that the government would use its forces insecurity operations far from home. "I believe the Chinese navy should send naval vessels to theGulf of Aden to carry out anti-piracy duties," he said. "If oneday, the Chinese navy sends ships to deal with pirates, nobodyshould be shocked." --SPA www.spa.gov.sa/613764