1. Four ships were deployed earlier this week to the Gulf of Aden to relieve the current fleet that is protecting merchant vessels from Somali pirates.
2. The Chinese merchant ships escorted by a China's fleet sailed on the Gulf of Aden when they met some suspected pirate ships.
3. The Chinese fleet has escorted 17 Italian merchant ships during their assignment in the waters of Aden and Somali.
4. Du said he did not regret that his fleet didn't arrest any pirates, although it did escort 206 Chinese and foreign merchant ships.
5. The invasion fleet was described by one pilot as stretching across 40 miles of water consisting of huge barges and merchant ships escorted by destroyers.
6. " Pirates remain a big threat to merchant vessels on the sea, " Yao told reporters on the eve of his fleet's departure.
7. It was the second time that the Chinese naval fleet rescued foreign merchant ships.