OpEd: Shipping Seeks Safe Waters in Era of Deadly Geopolitics
As tankers, car-carriers and other merchant vessels pass through the Malacca Strait, unlit fishing boats criss-cross the shipping lanes at night, making it one of the most challenging sea areas of the world to transit, even during peacetime.Should a major war ever come to Asia, those challenges could be magnified spectacularly, with hundreds of vessels abruptly leaving the international waters in the middle of the Strait for what they hope might be the relative safety of the national territorial waters of nearby neutral nations.The Strait – between Thailand…
Great Green Fleet in South China Sea
The John C. Stennis Strike Group (JCSSG) is conducting routine operations in the South China Sea. The ships transited the Luzon Strait March 1 and have maintained a location in the eastern half of these international waters for four days. USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74), USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93), USS Stockdale (DDG 106) and USS Mobile Bay (CG 53) all conducted a replenishment-at-sea today receiving advanced biofuel, aviation fuel and supplies from USNS Rainier (T-AOE 7). Flight operations have occurred daily with Carrier Airwing (CVW) 9 conducting 266 sorties. Numerous People's Liberation Army Navy (PLA(N)) vessels have remained in JCSSG's vicinity during this time period. "We have Chinese ships around us that we normally didn't see in my past experience," said Capt.
Philippines and Vietnam Form Maritime Alliance
Vietnam and the Philippines, which have long-standing territorial disputes in the South China Sea, are forming a strategic partnership, reports the National Interest. Taipei and Manila have signed an agreement spelling out how to settle future law enforcement problems in the shared 250-kilometer-wide Luzon Strait, where fish abound but territorial waters overlap. Worried over the rise of China and, in particular, Beijing’s increasingly belligerent actions in pursuit of its own territorial claims, Hanoi and Manila are banding together. Taiwan and the Philippines aren’t the first two South China Sea claimants to reach a deal on fair use of disputed waters.
C& S Names Corpus Christi on Regular Schedule
In a recent announcement at the Meat Importers Council of America Meeting in New Orleans, Bror Bjurstrom of C&S Shipping Australia PTY said Corpus Christi would be made part of the C&S regular sailing schedule in 2003. C& S Shipping Australia PTY will offer service from Australia- Corpus Christi, Texas- Wilmington, Del. C&S Shipping has had several trial import shipments of Australian beef destined for U.S. and Mexico markets thru the Port of Corpus Christi Cold Storage. The Port handled another C&S Australian shipment aboard the M/V Luzon Strait on Wednesday, October 30. Palletized beef was discharged from the brand new Luzon Strait, which has a unique starboard side loading/unloading system. The vessel was on its maiden voyage, thereby making Corpus Christi its first U.S. port of call.
