HONGKONG is coming under pressure to take a lead in defending the vital shipping lanes in the ''South China Triangle'' from the growing threat of piracy.
Mr Mazlan Abdul Samad, who runs the International Maritime Bureau's (IMO) Far East piracy centre in Malaysia, said that as the world's busiest container port, Hongkong had the most to lose.
However, the territory had more resources than the Philippines or China to fight the threat in the seas south of the territory.
He said the action this week of the Royal Hongkong Auxiliary Air Force (RHKAAF) aircraft in ''buzzing'' suspected pirates to stop them attacking a Chinese freighter showed the territory's potential.
Hours earlier, the pirates reportedly fired on large cargo ships with automatic rifles in the same area between Hainan Island and the north reef of the Paracel Islands.
Ships sailing through the area have been warned by the Marine Department and the Hongkong Shipowners' Association to maintain full speed with crews on full alert.