GUANGZHOU,China-Chinese warships headed toward Somali waters Friday to fight against piracy(海盗), the first time the communist country has sent ships on a mission that could involve fighting so far beyond its own waters．

　　The mission to the Gulf of Aden, which has been threatened by increasingly pirate attacks in recent months,marks a major step in the navy's evolution from mostly guarding China's coasts to patrolling waters far from home．

　　The move was welcomed by the U．S．military, which has been escorting(护航)ships in the region along with India,Russia and the European Union．But analysts predicted the Chinese intervention could be troubling to some Asian nations who might see it as a sign of the Chinese military becoming more aggressive．

　　The naval force that set sail from southern Hainan on Friday afternoon included a supply ship and two destroyers-armed with guided missiles, special forces and two helicopters．China announced it was joining the anti-piracy mission Tuesday after the U．N．Security Council authorized nations to conduct land and air attacks on pirate bases．

　　Pentagon(五角大楼)spokesman Maj．Stewart Upton said the U．S．welcomed China's move．

　　Pirates working out of Somalia have made an estimated＄30 million this year, seizing more than 40 vessels off the country's 1,880-mile(3,000-kilometer)coastline．Most of the attacks have occurred in the Gulf of Aden, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes．

　　Sending ships to the area helped stoke national pride among Chinese who feel their increasingly wealthy nation should be playing a bigger role in world affairs．

　　For several decades, China has kept a massive army focused on protecting its land borders, while the country's navy was relatively weak．But in recent years, as China became more deeply involved in the global economy, it concluded that a stronger navy was needed to protect its increasing sea shipments of oil, raw materials and other goods．

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