Local citizens wave goodbye to Chinese missile frigates during a seeing-off ceremony in Hong Kong, south China, on December 17, 2009. The "Zhoushan" and "Xuzhou" missile frigates, stopping over in Hong Kong for 4 days as they have finished escort mission against pirates in the Gulf of Aden, left for home on Thursday. [Xinhua]

Chinese naval soldiers wave goodbye to local citizens during a seeing-off ceremony in Hong Kong, south China, on December 17, 2009. The "Zhoushan" and "Xuzhou" missile frigates, stopping over in Hong Kong for 4 days as they have finished escort mission against pirates in the Gulf of Aden, left for home on Thursday. [Xinhua]