Senior PLA officers rarely speak in public without a prepared script. So it is refreshing that Hu Gangfeng , a Beijing-based senior naval captain, spoke openly at a shipping seminar in Hong Kong about China's desire for greater co-operation with other navies to fight Indian Ocean piracy. The nation's military expansion and, in particular, its naval build-up have alarmed many of China's neighbours. Greater naval co-operation will help deliver the transparency needed to allay fear and mistrust. The fight against piracy is a good place to start because the issue does not carry any political or diplomatic baggage - everyone agrees on the need to combat this scourge of the high seas.
But besides naval diplomacy, immediate self-interest dictates that key nations - especially the major economies in Asia - must co-operate to keep sea lanes in the Indian Ocean, especially those to and from the Gulf of Aden via the Horn of Africa, open and safe. They are conduits for imports of raw materials and energy, and exports of manufactured goods, that are vital to Asia's economic well-being. Unfortunately, these sea lanes are off the coasts of Somalia, an impoverished and lawless land from where pirates stalk the seas, preying on vessels from many nations. Increasingly, they are expanding their activities deeper into the Indian Ocean, operating in a vast area of sea no single navy can patrol and keep safe. This is why greater intelligence-sharing, and better co-ordination between patrols and for tactical operations, are essential. That is exactly what Beijing is seeking, Hu said.
As if to highlight the urgency of the matter, in the past week Somali pirates attacked a Hong Kong-flagged oil tanker and a mainland cargo carrier. Luckily, both vessels escaped capture. Meanwhile, negotiations continue for the release of the 25 Chinese crew of the bulk carrier De Xin Hai captured last month by pirates, who are now holding them hostage in a pirate stronghold on Somalia's east coast.
Currently, naval forces from about 40 nations are involved in protecting the shipping lanes to and from the Red Sea and Suez Canal. Operations are planned and co-ordinated at monthly meetings in Bahrain, known as SHADE (for shared awareness and deployments). The meetings have been headed by the European Union or US-led group. Now China wants a leadership role in those meetings.
Though unprecedented, Beijing's request is understandable. Protecting the sea lanes is a national priority for China's rapidly recovering economy. Since such a lead role for China would be rotational rather than permanent, it would help break the ice and improve communication with other navies without Beijing dominating operations. The scale and complexities of the operations off Somalia will also familiarise the Chinese navy with international maritime norms and co-ordinated naval manoeuvres.
This week marks US President Barack Obama's first official visit to Asia. The trip signals America's re-engagement with the region. The US navy has traditionally underwritten the security of international shipping lanes in Asia. It has spearheaded the fight against piracy in the Indian Ocean. As the US seeks greater co-operation with China on a wide range of issues, naval co-ordination, even if it is limited to combating piracy, should be at the top of any bilateral agenda. As a confidence-building measure, Beijing's request is reasonable and should be welcome.
