Oil floats highon easy money Nov 11, 2009
But if that's the case, somebody had better come up with a pretty clear and convincing explanation as to just what's going on in the southern stretches of the Strait of Malacca, just off the coast of Singapore, these days. Is this a massive worldwide corporate conspiracy, one that, unlike the assassination of Caesar, you could actually follow on TV, or at least online. (Asia Times Online)
Piracy 'spike' in South China Sea Sep 22, 2009
ReCAAP, which stands for the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia, said pirates were also active in the Strait of Malacca and the Strait of Singapore, with five boardings and one attempted boarding. Most of the incidents involve pirates robbing the crew and stealing stores from ships, unlike in the waters off Somalia where ships and their crews are often held for ransom. (BBC News -- Asia-Pacific)
India drops anchor in the Maldives Sep 2, 2009
Over the long term, Chinese naval officers speak of developing three ocean-going fleets to patrol the areas of Japan and Korea and the western Pacific, the Strait of Malacca and the Indian Ocean. Not to be left wanting, India has already established a new listening post that has begun operations in northern Madagascar, a large island off Africa's east coast. (Asia Times Online)
* Nine crew believed trapped in tanker Aug 21, 2009
Nine remaining crew members of a stricken oil-product tanker were missing and may be trapped after a collision with a bulk carrier in the Strait of Malacca, a Malaysian official said. A fire on the vessel was put out. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World Business)
* Taiwanese tanker collides with ship Aug 20, 2009
The loaded Taiwanese oil tanker was on fire and nine crew members were missing after a collision with a Greek-managed bulk carrier in the Strait of Malacca, Malaysian police said ... A loaded Taiwanese oil tanker carrying 58,000 tonnes of naphtha was involved in a collision with a cargo ship late on Tuesday in the Strait of Malacca bordering Malaysia and Indonesia, leaving nine crewmen from the oil vessel missing, a Malaysian maritime official said. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World Business)
Indonesia arrests Saudi suspect over hotel bombings Aug 19, 2009
Malaysia's maritime personnel on board a plane and a boat inspect the damage on a tanker after it collided with a cargo ship in the Strait of Malacca outside Port Dickson. . (AlertNet)
Whither the Kang Nam, North Korea's suspect cargo ship? Jun 23, 2009
The aging craft, heading toward the Strait of Malacca, is an unlikely player in what is fast becoming an international drama ... Now flying the flag of North Korea and chugging slowly through East Asian waters toward the Strait of Malacca, it is an unlikely possible flash point for international tensions. (Christian Science Monitor)
Pirates, Inc.: Inside the booming Somali business Jun 1, 2009
(The majority of the 42 hijackings in 2008 ended without harm to crews, a stark contrast to the more violent piracy now coming under control in the Strait of Malacca between Indonesia and Malaysia. . (Christian Science Monitor)
Pipelineistan goes Iran-Pak May 29, 2009
With IP in place and with multi-billion-dollar, overlapping Tehran-Beijing gas deals, China can finally afford to import less energy via the Strait of Malacca, which Beijing considers exceedingly dangerous, and subject to Washington's sphere of influence. With IP, not only China wins; Russia's Gazprom also wins. (Asia Times Online)
Pakistan, Iran signgas pipeline deal May 27, 2009
Imports using the pipeline would allow Beijing to reduce the portion of its oil shipped through the narrow and unsafe Strait of Malacca, which at present carries up to 80% of its oil imports. Islamabad also plans to extend a railway track to China to connect it to Gwadar. (Asia Times Online)
Chinese carriers - let them have them May 6, 2009
Furthermore, protection of the sea lanes from the South China Sea through the Strait of Malacca and up to the Indian Ocean, and in particular, curbing a sea blockade against China, which could be envisioned at the time of a Taiwan contingency, would be possible. And finally, an aircraft carrier could be used for rescue operations during large-scale disasters. (Asia Times Online)
U.S. seeks international effort to curb piracy Apr 16, 2009
pplies are tranferred to China's destroyer DDG-167 Shenzhen from the supply ship Qinghaihu in the Strait of Malacca on April 6, 2009. The flotilla is sailing towards the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters to conduct China's second escort mission. (Xinhuanet, China)
* The PLA Navy sails the South China Sea Apr 7, 2009
As the Chinese economy grows more and more dependent on seaborne commerce passing through the Strait of Malacca and as the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) Navy extends its seaward reach, Beijing will take an increasingly forceful approach to Southeast Asian affairs. By no means is armed conflict inevitable, but Washington should expect Beijing to mount a persistent challenge. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Sports)
Chinese navy to send new escort ships to Somali waters Apr 1, 2009
The flotilla will traverse 4,600 nautical miles, passing the Xisha and Nansha Islands, the Singapore Strait, the Strait of Malacca and the Indian Ocean before it arrives in the Gulf of Aden. China initiated its three-ship escort task force on Dec. 26 last year after the United Nations Security Council called on countries to patrol gulf and waters off Somalia, one of the world's busiest marine routes, where surging piracy endangered intercontinental shipping. (Xinhuanet, China)
Japan grants RM29.9mil to Msia for maritime security Mar 30, 2009
9mil) to Malaysia for maritime security enhancement for the overall sea surveillance in the Strait of Malacca and the Malaysian territorial waters. Japan's Ambassador to Malaysia, Masahiko Horie said some 14,000 Japanese vessels rely on the strait each year and 80 percent of Japan's import of the oil shipped from the Middle East pass the strait. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
India: America's indispensable ally Mar 12, 2009
Energy security too, will need India's participation, whether it's in protecting the Strait of Malacca (through which a substantial percentage of world oil flows) or improving efficiencies and developing new technologies in areas such as solar energy. Stopping nuclear proliferation, combatting terrorism, protecting sea lanes, and interdicting weapons of mass destruction are four other sensitive global issues that will require Washington's close cooperation with India. (Yahoo News)
When allies drift apart Feb 14, 2009
Military experts say securing new maritime bases outside of Northeast Asia would give the US 7th Fleet significant new naval forward projection capabilities vis-a-vis China, particularly for the US's ability in a potential conflict to blockade the nearby Strait of Malacca, where its estimated 70%-80% of China's imported fuel now flows. Indonesia, which has competing maritime claims with China including in oil and gas rich areas, is believed to view warily China's fast improving naval... (Asia Times Online)
Kazakhstan oil pours into China through crossborder pipeline Feb 8, 2009
The new oil shipping route will link Chinese consumers with the oil fields of the Caspian Sea, as well as alleviate China's excessive reliance on the Strait of Malacca, a traditional route for 80 percent of China's imported oil, said Yin. Last year, China's crude oil import totaled 127 million tons, about 40 percent of its total consumption. (Xinhuanet, China -- Business)
