Chinese warships in the Gulf of Aden have escorted ships through the worst storm since they arrived in waters off the Somali coast.

A force ten storm hit the the region on Sunday, causing five-meter-high waves. The destroyers Shenzhen and Huangshan formed a protective shield around the five commercial ships, maintaining live communication with their crews. After two hours, all the ships sailed safely out of the region. The two warships are China's second fleet on duty to the Gulf of Aden. They have successfully escorted 360 ships through waters threatened by Somali pirates.

(CCTV July 21, 2009)