ABSTRACT
A major component and concern of the OBOR Initiative is the utilisation of the concept of SLOCs, namely, the maritime trade routes employed by ships. In addition to the traditional shipping lanes, there exist potential new routes, for example, weather permitting, via the Arctic Ocean. From the European perspective, cargo shipped from the ports of East Asia via the Polar Silk Road would take a relatively shorter duration than using the routes through the South East Asian seas. However, the sea lanes of communication via the geographical choke points, for example the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, the Bab-el Mandeb, Strait of Hormuz and Strait of Gibraltar have experienced, and still report, a fair share of problems in the context of maritime security, especially acts of piracy and terrorism. Ensuring safety of the ships and the cargoes they carry, the personnel and the commercial value of the ships is of prime concern to operators and governments of the littoral states. Whereas freedom of navigation and innocent passage are rights that apply to all commercial shipping, a ‘legal grey area’ exists for ships engaged in scientific research and other activities. This chapter highlights the problem areas, examines the issues and offers an analysis of maritime security.
