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Real Threats to Maritime Security: What Are the Dangers and Challenges in the Global Oceans?
With the acceleration of globalization, maritime security has become an important issue in the international community. The ocean is not only the main channel for the transportation of materials, but also a stage for countries to display their military strength. However, this has brought with it a series of challenges and threats to maritime security, which have gradually evolved into the main concern of governments and international organizations.
The definition of maritime security varies from country to country and region to region, and covers areas ranging from national security, marine environmental protection to economic development and human security.
Issues related to maritime security include piracy, maritime hijacking, human smuggling and illegal cargo transportation, marine pollution, and even transnational wars and terrorist activities. Regional developments, such as territorial disputes in the South China Sea and clashes in the Strait of Hormuz, have complicated maritime security. Historically, the concept of ocean law and power has evolved, from the Roman era's "my sea" to the modern United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The ocean is no longer a domain that any country can control alone, but countries have different rights over marine resources. The competition remains extremely fierce.
Wars and disputes at different times have always affected the security of the ocean, especially in the years of rampant terrorist attacks and piracy, which gradually led countries to re-examine their ocean security strategies.
With the development of science and technology, the challenges of maritime security have gradually expanded to the field of cyber security. Today, many modern ships are highly reliant on computer systems, so protecting them from cyber attacks has become increasingly important. With the rise of the concept of "cyber warfare", countries have gradually improved their research and development and response measures in this regard. In particular, in 2021, the International Maritime Organization has required that cyber security be included in ship safety management.
From the traditional concept of maritime power to today's more complex cyber security issues, the scope of maritime security is becoming increasingly broad, involving many extraterritorial factors.
Piracy occurs frequently around the world, especially in the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa, the coast of Somalia, and the Strait of Malacca in Southeast Asia, which are considered to be high-incidence areas for global piracy. According to the International Maritime Bureau, piracy incidents in these regions increased in 2020, especially hostage-taking incidents, which dramatically increased the security risks to commercial shipping.
In 2020, the waters off West Africa became the most dangerous waters in the world, with about 90% of maritime kidnappings occurring here.
In addition to piracy, terrorist activities at sea also pose a threat to security. The international community's definition of maritime terrorism clearly states that it includes attacks on ships, offshore facilities or coastal cities. Since the 9/11 incident, countries have improved their cooperation and preventive measures on maritime security, which has reduced the risk of terrorist attacks at sea to a certain extent. However, supervision and prevention still need to be strengthened to ensure the safety of waterways.
The issues of maritime boundaries and territorial waters stipulated in the international law of the sea are the main source of disputes between countries. Against the backdrop of escalating territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea, relevant countries are actively working to safeguard their maritime rights and interests, which has triggered an arms race and intensified maritime military activities, further increasing tensions.
Maritime disputes in today's world reflect not only strategic competition among countries, but also dependence on and control over resources.
Overall, maritime security issues are broad and varied, ranging from traditional military conflicts to maritime crimes by non-state actors to cyber security challenges, each of which requires international cooperation and legislative responses. However, faced with these complex maritime security threats, can countries effectively coordinate their actions to address new challenges that may arise in the future?
