US admiral: Joint anti-piracy efforts producing unprecedented cooperation

Beijing: The head of the US Navy said on Sunday that joint anti-piracy operations with China are producing an unprecedented level of interaction between the two countries' navies.

Navy Adm. Gary Roughead said he would discuss further boosting ties in talks this week with his Chinese counterpart, Wu Shengli.

Roughead and Wu were flying later in the day to the Chinese port of Qingdao for commemorations of the sixtieth anniversary of the People's Liberation Army Navy.

China dispatched an anti-piracy flotilla to the Gulf of Aden in December to join an international anti-piracy patrol contingent of some two dozen warships from a number of countries, including the US the European Union, and Russia.