China has been working toward modernizing their navy for years. Now Somalia's pirates have provided a legitimate excuse for China to flex its muscles and test foreign waters. Member nations of the U.N. Security Council have dispatched vessels to protect their commercial ships from the pirates, and they have asked fellow member, China, to assist.
The hijacking is a serious problem. Of the 100 vessels attacked off the coast of Somalia, 40 have been hijacked.
I suspect that once China enters the waters off the Horn of Africa, they will never leave. China has many African investments and trade relationships. China imports more oil from Angola than Saudi Arabia. These are relationships China wouldn't want its competitors, such as India, to enjoy too easily.
Obviously, the piracy issue is a serious problem, but I doubt China is going to leave African waters even if it is resolved.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/12/17/china.pirates/index.html
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