China Hosts Anti-Piracy Meeting
China is holding a 2-day international forum to coordinate efforts against piracy off the African coast. From China Daily:
Several navies have been in the Gulf of Aden since 2008 in response to the hijacking of vessels by Somali pirates, who seize ships and crews in the hope of securing a ransom payment.
Around 40 navies now have a presence in the area and participate in convoys and oversee a safe transit corridor.
While the 40 or so navies taking part are coordinating their efforts, they are not operating under a centralized command structure.
“China always takes a positive and open attitude toward international cooperation on shipping escorts and is willing to cooperate under related UN resolutions,” said the ministry in a written response to China Daily.
Currently, NATO, the EU and the United States all lead flotillas, while Chinese, Russian and Japanese task forces operate independently and stay in close touch, according to the South China Morning Post.
