Coast guard launches law enforcement drill in preparation for Hainan's special customs operations

The China Coast Guard (CCG) launched a law enforcement drill on Tuesday to prepare for the upcoming island-wide special customs operations at Hainan Free Trade Port, which is set to begin on Thursday.

Led by the CCG's South China Sea Branch, the three-day exercise involves multiple maritime authorities. The CCG has deployed several task forces for the drill, which is designed to enhance joint response capabilities to counter maritime smuggling and illegal immigration.

The drill, which is taking place simultaneously across multiple sea areas around Hainan Island, focuses on a series of law enforcement exercises designed to test the coordination capabilities of the task forces.

These exercises include integrated air-sea reconnaissance and search missions, coordinated interceptions, rapid boarding and control operations, as well as joint maritime-land inspection and seizure operations.

"In accordance with unified deployment, we have conducted phased and zoned maritime patrols during this joint law enforcement drill. Simulating scenarios such as maritime smuggling and illegal immigration, we have carried out targeted exercises, such as maritime target situational awareness, detection and tracking of suspicious vessels, coordinated interception, and boarding for control. These exercises have effectively tested and enhanced our mission execution capabilities," said Zhuo Pinzhao, a coast guard officer.

Coast guard launches law enforcement drill in preparation for Hainan's special customs operations

Impact of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran is pushing Gulf countries to revisit costly plans for pipelines to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, so that they can continue to export oil and gas, the Financial Times newspaper reported on Thursday.

"Officials and industry executives say new pipelines may be the only way to reduce Gulf countries' enduring vulnerability to disruption in the strait, even though such projects would be expensive, politically complex and take years to complete," said the report.

"Previous plans for pipelines across the region have repeatedly stalled, undone by high costs and complexity," it said.

The Strait of Hormuz is a vital global energy corridor bordered by Iran to the north.

Around a fifth of global liquefied natural gas supply passed through the Strait of Hormuz, which also carries about one quarter of global seaborne oil trade.

Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities on Feb. 28, killing Iran's then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone strikes against Israel and U.S. assets in the Middle East, while tightening control over the Strait of Hormuz by restricting passage to vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States.

Gulf countries consider new pipelines to avoid Strait of Hormuz: Financial Times