But piracy is not the only threat to maritime security these days. China, at least, faces tougher challenges.

In the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea, China's interest concentrates on resource exploitation. Therefore, the main threats to Chinese interests are the potential conflicts with countries that claim sovereignty over islands and resources inside China's exclusive economic zones. China and Japan, restrained by the Pacific Ocean and the international situation, will not possibly use military force to settle their disputes over these islands in the foreseeable future, and the two sides have tried to cooperate over resources despite difficulties. But they have little trust in each other's intentions and directions of state development. The tranquility of the East China Sea could easily be shattered.

The situation in the South China Sea is similar. China has disputes with the Philippines and Viet Nam over a water area that measures more than 1 million square km, and the situation keeps deteriorating. The Philippines recently declared territorial sovereignty over Huangyan Island and Nansha Islands, taking advantage of the fact that China needs a peaceful environment for its rapid economic development. This could be an effective strategy for China's neighbors as long as they understand China's intentions. But this salami tactic-slicing off small concessions-has huge risks. If countries in the South China Sea misconstrue China's intentions and go too far in their aggression, the possibility of military conflict would equal if not exceed the possibility of disputes between China and Japan in the East China Sea.

China faces other challenges in the South China Sea as well. China's economic miracle is basically the result of its reform and opening-up policy. Its growing connectivity with the rest of world gave the country a huge trade surplus of $39 billion last December and this January even in the midst of the global financial crisis.

This encouraging figure means that China has billions of reasons to guard the safety of its sea lanes of communication (SLOCs). The first step is to guarantee the security of the Malacca Strait, which is the key passage from the South China Sea to the South Pacific and the Indian Ocean. About half the ships passing through the Malacca Strait are sailing to or from one of China's 1,400 ports. This strait, which is overcrowded and increasingly fragile, not only illustrates China's growth, but also exposes the country's deadly weakness. The strait could easily be closed or lose function, because there are too many opportunities for blockades from hostile nations, pirate attacks, manmade accidents and natural disasters. The question is not the possibility of danger, but the degree of severity.

Further away in the Indian Ocean, China has no territorial claims and can only participate in limited resource exploitation. China's interest is reflected only in sea lane security. At first glance, it would appear that the Indian Ocean is not as important as the East China Sea or South China Sea, because there is no involvement of nationalism or economic interests. But sea lane security represents not only short-term interests, but also a significant strategic security problem concerning the country's life or death in the 21st century.

The Chinese Navy has now entered the Indian Ocean for anti-piracy and escort missions, opening a new chapter in the naval history of the nation. But existing problems cast a shadow. Marine forces in the Indian Ocean are suspicious of China's presence. Besides, the Chinese Navy cannot guarantee the safety of Chinese commodity ships in the Indian Ocean, because its fleet has no logistics base and cannot sail for a long time.

No matter how much China desires a harmonious world and harmonious oceans, it cannot possibly rely on other countries' naval forces to guard the safety of its SLOCs. A big country that builds its prosperity on foreign trade cannot put the safety of its ocean fleet in the hands of other countries. Doing so would be the equivalent of placing its throat under another's dagger and marking its blood vessels in red ink.

Since China will inevitably continue to grow as a manufacturing and trading country, it can never take the safety of its Indian Ocean SLOCs too seriously. They are a lifeline that connects China with Europe, Africa and the Middle East.