GUANGZHOU - A Chinese sailor held captive by Somali pirates for years and was rescued recently arrived at Guangzhou on Thursday, said the Guangdong provincial foreign affairs office.

He was among 26 sailors who were rescued on Oct 22 after four and a half years in captivity. Eight sailors from the Chinese mainland and one from Taiwan arrived at Guangzhou on Tuesday, while he remained in a Nairobi hospital for treatment.

In March 2012, a fishing boat with 29 crew members was hijacked by Somali pirates. Sailors of the Omani-flagged fishing vessel were taken captive, including ten from the Chinese mainland, two from Taiwan, and 17 others from the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and Cambodia.

Three of the 29 hostages died after the hijacking, including one from the Chinese mainland and one from Taiwan.