PLAN Anti-Piracy Deployments

Blackstone

Brigadier
No PLAN base in Seychelles...

Maybe not today, but I'll bet you dollars to donuts there will be one in a few years. It will start as an anti-piracy base, but will probably end up as part of the "string of pearls."

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VICTORIA - The Seychelles invited Beijing to set up a military base on the archipelago to beef up the fight against piracy there, Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Paul Adam said.

The declaration came Dec. 2 as Gen. Liang Guanglie is making the first-ever visit by a Chinese defense minister to the Indian Ocean island state.

"We have invited the Chinese government to set up a military presence on Mahe to fight the pirate attacks that the Seychelles face on a regular basis," Adam said.

"For the time being China is studying this possibility because she has economic interests in the region and Beijing is also involved in the fight against piracy," he explained.

Liang, who arrived in Victoria on Dec. 1 with a 40-strongdelegation, had been invited in October by Seychelles President James Michel, when he was on a visit to China.

"Together, we need to increase our surveillance capacity in the Indian Ocean ... as Seychelles has a strategic position between Asia and Africa," Michel said in statement, adding that China had given its army two light aircraft.

The two countries signed a military cooperation agreement in 2004 that has enabled some 50 Seychelles soldiers to be trained in China. They renewed their agreement Dec. 2, with China to provide further training and equipment.

If the Chinese military base goes ahead, "it won't be the first foreign military presence here because the Americans already have a small drone base here that they use in the fight against piracy," Adam said.

After warships started deploying in the Gulf of Aden in 2008 to thwart attacks on vessels, Somali pirates enlarged their field of operations into the Indian Ocean, including towards the Seychelles.

With 115 islands scattered over an area of 540,000 square miles, a population of 85,000 and an army of just 500, the archipelago has been asking for foreign assistance.

Liang flew in from the Ugandan capital Kampala, where, according to Ugandan government sources, he promised $2.3 million in military aid, including support to troops in the African Union force in Somalia.

The Seychelles president also welcomed "Russian support in the fight against piracy" after he met Dec. 2 with Sergey Kryukov, Russia's top foreign ministry official for Africa.

Piracy has flourished off war-torn Somalia, outwitting international efforts - including constant patrols by warships and tough sentencing of the pirates they capture.
 

SampanViking

The Capitalist
Staff member
Super Moderator
VIP Professional
Registered Member
More news from the BBC

The Yancheng is acting as the escort with a Russian ship for the Danish Frigate carrying the chemical toxins to Italy for transfer to the US ship which will destroy the chemicals in International Waters.

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It is an interesting configuration though. Are China and Russia simply guarding the Danes or making sure that the toxins are handled and destroyed in accordance with expectations?

The Yancheng was of course part of the 16th Anti Piracy patrol. Has this patrol now ended or are the other vessels still on station?
 

chuck731

Banned Idiot
More news from the BBC

The Yancheng is acting as the escort with a Russian ship for the Danish Frigate carrying the chemical toxins to Italy for transfer to the US ship which will destroy the chemicals in International Waters.

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It is an interesting configuration though. Are China and Russia simply guarding the Danes or making sure that the toxins are handled and destroyed in accordance with expectations??

I think it's more like a honor guard than a real guard. The escorts are there to ensure the appropriate pomp and ceremony attend this rare appearent success of multi-lateral peacemaking effort.
 
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Blackstone

Brigadier
More news from the BBC

The Yancheng is acting as the escort with a Russian ship for the Danish Frigate carrying the chemical toxins to Italy for transfer to the US ship which will destroy the chemicals in International Waters.

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!


It is an interesting configuration though. Are China and Russia simply guarding the Danes or making sure that the toxins are handled and destroyed in accordance with expectations?

The Yancheng was of course part of the 16th Anti Piracy patrol. Has this patrol now ended or are the other vessels still on station?

It's a dog and pony show for global PR. I'm only surprised the Brits, French, and Germans didn't send ships or airplanes to escort the Chinese, Russian, and Danish ships.
 

Maggern

Junior Member
How can you guys neglect the Norwegian freight ship to carry the chemicals and the Norwegian frigate who's part of the escort (which incidentally is where the BBC is broadcasting from).

I love that China threw its weight in here and participated. The only non-european power to do so, except the us.
 

chuck731

Banned Idiot
How can you guys neglect the Norwegian freight ship to carry the chemicals and the Norwegian frigate who's part of the escort (which incidentally is where the BBC is broadcasting from).

I love that China threw its weight in here and participated. The only non-european power to do so, except the us.

China is the only non-European permanent member of UN security council, except the US.
 

joshuatree

Captain
I think it's more like a honor guard than a real guard. The escorts are there to ensure the appropriate pomp and ceremony attend this rare appearent success of multi-lateral peacemaking effort.

Or more like every one keeps an eye on each other for verification. Obviously, the US and Western powers rather see Assad toppled. The Russians and Chinese have vested interests in Syria and rather not. Since finger pointing went back and forth over who used those weapons in Syria, destruction of the weapons being observed by all sides would prevent more finger pointing.
 

asif iqbal

Lieutenant General
15th task force in Kenya

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