A Chinese fishing vessel held by pirates in Somali waters since last year was released Sunday, with 24 crew on board safe, the Foreign Ministry said in Beijing in a statement.

The vessel Tianyu No. 8, owned by China's Tianjin Ocean Fishing Company, was safely released at around 5 p.m. Beijing time on Sunday, and was "under the protection" of the Chinese naval escort fleet patrolling the Gulf of Aden after it was released, said the ministry.

The crew of 16 Chinese (including one from Taiwan) and 8 foreign sailors, was going to get provisions and a physical examination, said the statement.

The escort fleet would also accompany Tianyu No. 8 to safe waters, said the ministry.

The Chinese government had expressed solicitude for the crew released, said the statement.

After the incident, in coordination with Tianjin municipal government, the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Agriculture directed several parties in relief work including Chinese embassies in Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti, as well as relevant enterprises, said the statement, with no further details released.

The Foreign Ministry again warned Chinese ships and sailors against approaching or entering waters off Yemen, Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania to avoid possible accident.

Editor: Yan