Monday, December 22, 2008
China vs. the pirates
Scripps Howard News Service: The Chinese are about to end a longstanding policy against armed long-range naval missions. By “longstanding,” think the 15th century.
Beijing says it will send two cruisers and a large supply ship to join the multinational anti-piracy patrols off the coast of Somalia. The post-Mao Chinese governments have as a rule opposed international military interventions in other countries.
This could be both simple self-interest and a subtle and significant change in military policy since its navy has generally stayed close to home and concentrated on coastal defense.
Somali pirates have attacked more than 300 vessels in some of the world’s most critical shipping lanes, capturing 40 of them and collecting $40 million in ransom. They are still holding 14, including a supertanker and a ship loaded with weapons, and more than 25 crew members.
China as a victim
The Chinese government said 1,265 of its ships traversed those shipping lanes last year and that 20 percent of them were attacked. The last straw may have come when pirates succeeded in boarding the Chinese cargo ship Zhenhua 4. Crew members locked themselves in their cabins and radioed for help. Two helicopters and a warship from the international force drove off the pirates.
It will be interesting to see how well the Chinese fleet cooperates with the U.S., European Union and Indian navies on the scene and since the United Nations last week authorized land and air operations against the pirates on the Somali mainland, how far they’re willing to go militarily.