China is considering providing armed escorts to vessels navigating the Mekong river following two murderous attacks on its ships.

The Mekong port of Phnom Penh
The move triggered by the killing of 13 crew on two vessels and has echoes of the trend to provide an armed response to attacks by Somali pirates.

The 4,900 km long Mekong flows through China, Burma, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam before entering the South China Sea.

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