BEIJING - A CHINESE general has called for the country's navy to join the fight against Somali pirates, saying the mission would boost China's international stature and give its sailors valuable experience in fighting open ocean combat operations far from their home ports.

Chinese ships have been among those seized in a wave of pirate attacks this year, including the fishing vessel Tianyu No 8, seized in mid-November.

International warships from Nato and countries including Russia patrol the Gulf of Aden and have created a security corridor in the area under a US-led initiative, but attacks have not abated.

'Piracy doesn't just interfere in our country's navigational safety, it also impedes our development and interests,' Major General Jin Yinan told state radio.

'I think our navy should send ships to the Gulf of Aden to carry out anti-piracy duties,' Gen Jin said, according to a transcript of the interview posted on Thursday on the Web site of the official China News Service. The date of the interview was not given.

China's People's Liberation Army Navy has little experience operating at long-range, its primary mission being coastal patrol.

However, the service is believed to have major ambitions, possibly including the eventual deployment of an aircraft carrier.

Gen Jin serves as vice research director at the military's National Defense University and is frequently quoted on issues concerning deployments overseas. China's military has strict rules about officers making public statements, and it is highly unlikely he would have given the interview without consent from the top brass.

Gen Jin dismissed the possibility that the deployment might stir international concerns about a more aggressive China.

'Dispatching ships is a very common act and we wouldn't just be protecting Chinese shipping,' Gen Jin said. 'We are a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and these are the duties of major nation.' -- AP