Chinese Warships Patrol Waters Off Somalia

China's Navy Joins the Fight Against Pirates in the Gulf of Aden

Jan 3, 2009

For the first time since the voyages of Zheng He in the fifteenth century, China has deployed its navy overseas, in response to the threat posed by Somali pirates.

Friday, 26 December 2008 marked a milestone in Chinese military history as three warships from the People’s Liberation Army Navy left the port of Sanya on Hainan Island. They were embarking on a three-month mission to combat pirates in the waters off Somalia, the first such naval deployment in modern Chinese history.

Somali Pirate Attacks Increasing

Pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia more than doubled over the course of 2008. There were around 95 pirate attacks in Somali waters in 2008, according to Reuters (“Germany wants international court for Somali pirates”, by Sabine Siebold, 23 December 2008). By the end of the year, nearly 400 people and 19 ships were being held along the Somali coast, including a Saudi super-tanker loaded with $100 million worth of oil.

Seven of the hijacked ships were Chinese, either owned by China or carrying Chinese crew or cargoes. One was still being held at the end of the year. The announcement of the Chinese naval deployment came as another Chinese ship, the MV Zhenhua-4, a 60,000-tonne transport ship owned by the Chinese Communication Construction Company, was attacked in the Gulf of Aden (“Piracy prompts landmark mission” by Ng Tze-wei, South China Morning Post, 19 December 2008). The crew managed to hold off the hijackers until help arrived in the form of a Malaysian frigate and helicopter.

A Milestone in China's Foreign Policy

At a press conference on December 23, 2008 in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Qin Gang said the purpose of the deployment was “to ensure the safety of Chinese ships and personnel on the route and protect vessels of international organizations carrying humanitarian materials.” The waters of the Gulf of Aden lie across the main route for the shipment of oil from the Middle East - one of China's main suppliers - and ensuring the security of its energy supply is a prime concern for China. The South China Morning Post also noted that the move has also been linked to China's growing military power and rising international clout ("PLA ships leave for Somalia pirate patrols", by Kristine Kwok, 27 December 2008).

The ships – the frigates Haikou and Wuhan and the supply ship Weishanhu – are equipped with two helicopters, and 800 troops, including around 70 special forces. They are joining a growing list of countries and regional organisations - including the EU, US, India, Russia and Malaysia - who, authorized by the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1846 of 2 December 2008, may enter Somalia’s territorial waters to combat piracy, using all necessary force. This includes the use of both naval vessels and military aircraft, along with the seizing and disposing of boats, arms and related equipment used for piracy.

Somali Crisis Fuels Piracy

Plagued by ongoing drought and conflict, Somalia has been beset by anarchy ever since the ousting of former dictator Mohammed Siad Barre in 1991. In a country where the United Nations reports almost half the population needs food aid, piracy has become an appealing way of life for many Somalis. Costs are low and the potential rewards are great. The BBC reported that vessels captured in the busy shipping lanes of the Gulf of Aden fetch on average a ransom of $2m (“Somali pirates living the high life”, by Robyn Hunter, 28 October 2008). Whether this can continue given the increased international response remains to be seen.

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