14 Safety and Security Issues in the Taiwan Strait—Some Reflections

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the subject of anti-piracy measures in the Taiwan Strait. In addition to the increased collaboration between Mainland China and Taiwan, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) should be expected to play an even more important role in the Taiwan Strait for purposes of combating piracy and armed robbery against vessels. In the short-term, a regional agreement for the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait similar to the 2009 Djibouti Code of Conduct Concerning the Repression of Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in the Western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden. However, a system of national focal points and information centers, together with the current IMO reporting system and some other safety related conventions, e.g., Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and Standards of Training, Certification and Watch-keeping for Seafarers (STCW), would be an essentially positive development for the Taiwan Strait. Keywords: China; Gulf of Aden; International Maritime Organization (IMO); Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS); Taiwan Strait