China stands up to Somali pirates

It should surprise nobody that the Chinese government made its swift decision last week to deploy warships in the Gulf of Aden, which is infested with Somali pirates. Attacks on foreign commercial shipping have increased dramatically in recent years and Beijing's response was made for several reasons.

Firstly, it was warranted because of the relevant United Nations Security Council resolution that was passed unanimously recently. The resolution authorises international land operations against armed pirates sheltering in Somalia and gives concerned countries that are involved in combating pirates off the Somali coast a one-year mandate to continue to do so. The UN Resolution 1851 mandates that concerned states take "all necessary measures that are appropriate in Somalia" to suppress "acts of piracy and armed robbers at sea".

As part of its foreign policy objectives, China has given strong support to the UN frameworks, especially certain resolutions adopted by the Security Council. In the two years preceding this year's Olympic Games, Beijing came under great pressure from the international community to do more on issues related to humanitarian crises around the world. Most notable was China's role in the conflict in Sudan's Darfur region. The close relations between China and Sudan were used to discredit China's international standing and there were calls by some parties for a boycott of the Games in response. China's previous recalcitrance has now turned to renewed enthusiasm for participating in international patrols of the pirate-infested waters.

The second reason for China's action is that Chinese cargo ships have to traverse the Gulf of Aden to deliver goods from Asia to Europe. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said that this year a total of 1,265 Chinese merchant ships have passed through the gulf and at least seven have been attacked. The report of the brave crew of a Chinese cargo ship that staved off a pirate attack in the Gulf by using beer bottles, fire hoses and homemade incendiary bombs received huge international support and sympathy.

China is not alone. The London-based International Maritime Bureau pointed out that a total of 109 ships have been attacked in the Gulf in the past 12 months and 42 have been hijacked. Fourteen ships are currently being held for ransom, including the Sirius Star, a Saudi supertanker, and the Faina, a Ukrainian cargo ship carrying 32 tanks and other heavy weapons allegedly destined for conflicts in Africa.

Thirdly, China is still on a learning curve. Beijing knows it still has to learn and absorb ideas from the international community when it comes to emergency relief efforts and countermeasures to tackle such security issues as piracy. During The Tsunami of 2004, Chinese rescue teams were very competent in their operations but were not able to maximise their capacity due to different approaches to the problem and different codes of conduct among the international participants in the relief effort. Joint anti-piracy operations at sea will certainly benefit the Chinese navy in this respect, and the experience gained will be relevant to the region. China has yet to provide assistance or take part in joint anti-pirate operations in the Straits of Malacca, another hotbed of piracy. Asean countries Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand have already agreed to joint patrols in the Straits.

Finally, China understands its security role will be scrutinised internationally and at home. This is the first time Chinese warships have been dispatched into international waters far from their home bases, and it remains to be seen show the Chinese navy will use this opportunity to increase its international profile. This anti-pirate effort now sends a strong signal to the international community, which has been critical of Beijing for its lack of humanitarian action and has often condemned its behaviour as irresponsible for an international stakeholder.

Of course, in the coming months and years, China will continue to expand its international profile, commensurate with its growing economic clout. If its presence in the Gulf of Aden is well received, it will provide further impetus for the Chinese navy to increase its international role. China's good standing will help to mitigate the negative impact of the global financial crisis, which has already slowed down Chinese economic growth.

Beijing knows it can no longer isolate itself as it used to. Its economic well-being is now closely intertwined with the health of the world economy. Therefore, China's anti-piracy cooperation deserves applause.