December 18, 2008

Gunboat Diplomacy: Enter China


The admission by Beijing's Foreign Ministry that it was seriously considering sending warships of the People's Liberation Army Navy (China's navy) to the Gulf of Aden has certain quarters of the Internet abuzz. Officially the US Navy Command in the Indian Ocean (based in Bahrain) welcomes the help of the Chinese navy to fend off the pirates operating off the long (over 1,800 miles) coastline of Somalia.
A new UN Security Council resolution authorizes cooperation by nations in responding to pirate attacks.

Earlier this month a Chinese cargo vessel, the Zhenghua 4, was attacked by pirates. Approximately 5 Chinese ships enter the Gulf of Aden each day and that number will increase once new port operations at Piraeus, Greece, are complete.

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