By Ankit Panda
The United States recently became the 20th member of ReCAAP.
In a little-noticed move, the United States joined the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) in late September. The move is consistent with the strategic thinking driving the United States’ “pivot” to Asia. The move also comes amid reports that piracy in the South China Sea is increasing. A third of the world’s shipping traffic moves through the strategically important Strait of Malacca and Singapore Strait which have become hotspots for maritime piracy. This traffic includes almost the entirety of the crude oil that East Asian states import from the Middle East.
“U.S. membership in ReCAAP will enable us to support multilateral cooperation in addressing the common threat of piracy and robbery against ships in the region’s critical sea lanes and waters,” said a U.S. State Department official. According to IHS Jane’s 360, the “Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy of the US Coast Guard, Rear Admiral Paul F Thomas has been appointed as the ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ISC) governor for the United States.” The United States first stated its intention to join ReCAAP in 2012.
Read the full story at The Diplomat