China: People's Liberation Army naval officials have reached an agreement with major international navies at a meeting of the Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (SHADE) Group in Bahrain to supply one ship to the Horn of Africa to patrol a 60 nautical mile stretch of ocean as part of the global crack down against piracy.
SHADE is headed by the EU and a US-led coalition called the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF).
By committing to this cause, China will be eligible to lead the coalition, the chairmanship of which will be rotated every three to four months.
CMF Operations Chief, US Navy Captain Chris Chambers said that the Chinese agreement was a positive development that opened the door for other independent nations to follow.
India and Russia are both expected to seek a greater role following China's example.
