BEIJING - A CHINESE sailor who spent 202 days being held by pirates off the coast of Somalia has told of his fear and horror while in captivity, with the worst moment coming when one of his crewmates was murdered.

'I will never go back to sea,' Jiang Lichun, 25, was quoted as saying in the state-run China Daily newspaper on Monday.

Pirates took control of a Taiwan-registered fishing vessel, with Mr Jiang and 10 other crew members on board, as it was sailing 220 nautical miles off Somalia's coast on April 18 last year.

Mr Jiang said the heavily armed pirates came aboard from three speedboats, and appeared to know exactly what to do as they had the crew inside the captain's room within a few minutes.

'I heard the captain scream 'run',' Mr Jiang said, but added there was no time to react after the pirates fired gunshots.

Mr Jiang told the China Daily that the pirates frequently beat the crew, but the most terrifying period came when one of his fellow sailors was murdered after the ship's owner refused to pay a US$300,000 (S$439,099) ransom.

Chen Tao, 32, who was from the same north-eastern Chinese province of Liaoning as Mr Jiang, was reportedly taken up to the deck of the ship on May 25.

'We heard six gunshots but no one could believe Chen was dead,' Mr Jiang said, according to the paper, but then the sailors were also allowed on deck and saw it was covered with blood.

After Chen's murder, 'we thought no one would leave the ship alive", Mr Jiang was quoted as saying.

The crew was eventually released in November after the ship owner paid US$220,000 to the pirates, according to the China Daily.

The paper did not explain why the interview was held so long after Mr Jiang was released, but it appeared to be part of government efforts to rally support behind the Chinese navy's role in the international anti-piracy campaign.

Two Chinese destroyers and a supply ship set sail on Dec 26 to help protect private vessels as they passed through waters near Africa.

It was the first time in recent history that China had deployed ships on a potential combat mission well beyond its territorial waters.

'I fully support the move. The armed forces should protect the people,' Mr Jiang was quoted as saying.

More than 100 pirate attacks occurred in the waters off the coast of Somalia in 2008. According to the International Maritime Bureau, pirates are currently holding 15 vessels with some 300 crew members taken hostage. -- AFP