When Zhang Zuyue, chief of the Chinese Shipowners' Association, describes the pirates plaguing the Somali coast as 'a beaming new star' in the ancient trade of piracy, he is not exaggerating.
As shipping firms across the region know to their cost, the pirates are proving to be a menace as cunning as they are successful.
Some 40 countries, including China, have sent warships to an international armada patrolling vital sea lanes around the Horn of Africa and into the Gulf of Aden - waters that link Asia to Europe and carry much of the oil used by China and Japan.
Yet the anti-piracy patrols have failed to stem the tide of attacks. International Maritime Bureau figures show pirate incidents have risen steadily from 35 in 2007 and 111 in 2008 to 178 so far this year.
And the attack on the De Xin Hai last week shows just how emboldened and sophisticated the pirates have become. Carrying 76,000 tonnes of coal from South Africa to India, the bulk carrier was attacked as it passed 550 nautical miles northeast of the Seychelles - far from the area covered by the international armada and a sign that pirates are extending their reach by using so-called 'mother ships' as staging posts for attacks.
The location meant the De Xin Hai, commanded by a captain of more than 30 years' experience, had yet to cross to the 60th meridian - the point at which ships are advised to take anti-piracy measures, such as posting extra lookouts and preparing fire hoses. Fully loaded and riding low in the water, it was a soft target.
