How will China respond as US expands foreign ship seizures?

China is expected to look for ways to protect its maritime interests in the face of increasingly assertive efforts by the United States to seize foreign ships it accuses of breaching sanctions on countries such as Iran and Venezuela.

In November, a cargo ship travelling to Iran from China was reportedly raided by a US special operations team in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka and its cargo of dual military-civilian use goods confiscated.

It was the first known US interception of outbound cargo from China in years.

Then earlier this month, US forces boarded and seized the Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera in the north Atlantic, citing violations of its sanctions on Venezuela.

A series of other seizures followed, raising eyebrows over what appeared to be an increasingly aggressive approach by the White House.

China has so far been firm in its response, with its foreign ministry describing the seizure of the Marinera as a “serious violation” of international law and saying that Beijing opposed “unilateral illicit sanctions”.

But analysts said the US seizures of foreign vessels might have alarmed China and could prompt Beijing to look for ways to protect its interests, including the possible deployment of the PLA Navy.

South China Morning Post