Ministry of Transportation of P. R. China issued a notice to shipping companies requiring Chinese-flagged vessels sailing in or planning to sail to the Straits of Malacca shall raise the security level to level 3 — the highest state of alertness under the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code of China— effective from 2200hrs local time July 2.

The notice applies to Chinese-flagged vessels only. It did not specify the reasons behind the unexpected increase of alert level. Information said the threat was possibly from an Indonesian organization which is planning a terrorist attack to Chinese ships, but some others linked it with the rapidly reemerging piracy in Southeast Asia.

The Straits of Malacca is situated between the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra, holding strategic significance for Chinese oil imports from the Middle East Gulf region.

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