"China in the future could take over the rotating chairmanship of Somalia's patrols," an unidentified defence ministry official told the official China Daily newspaper. He was referring to a task force that coordinates patrols.

But he said the exact start and length of the leadership role were still being discussed, the report said.

China has been active in anti-piracy efforts in the Gulf of Aden off the Somali coast, sending four flotillas there since the end of 2008.

Before, the Asian nation's navy had focused on the defence of its coastal waters, combined with the occasional friendly port call. Only in 2002 did it circumnavigate the globe for the first time.

Last month, a top naval official raised the idea that China could build foreign bases elsewhere.

Yin Zhuo, an admiral and senior researcher at the navy's Equipment Research Centre, proposed setting up a permanent base to support ships on anti-piracy missions in the Gulf of Aden.

Yin's proposal came after a Chinese cargo ship and its crew of 25 were rescued from Somali pirates, following the payment of a 3.5-million-dollar ransom to their kidnappers.

Unofficial figures show that 2009 was the most prolific year yet for Somali pirates, with more than 200 attacks -- including 68 successful hijackings -- and a total of ransoms believed to exceed 50 million dollars.

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