China inked here on Friday the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP), which was concluded in Tokyo in November 2004 and came into force on Sept. 4, 2006.

At a signing ceremony witnessed by Chua Siew San, deputy secretary of Singapore's Foreign Ministry, Chinese Charge D' affaires for Singapore Huang Yong signed the pact on behalf of the Chinese government.

The government of Singapore is the depositary of the agreement, which states that the contracting parties recognize the importance of safety of ships and the right to navigation in accordant with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) of Dec. 10, 1982.

The agreement also reaffirms the duty of states, namely ten members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, to cooperate in the prevention and suppression of piracy under the UNCLOS.

The agreement is expected to play a positive role in sea security cooperation in Asia, especially the Strait of Malacca, which is one of the most important shipping lanes in the world. The strait carries 50,000 vessels per year, carrying between one- fifth and one quarter of the world's sea trade.

Currently, a total of 14 countries, including China, have already signed the pact.

Source: Xinhua