Japan, increasingly concerned over piracy, and potential terrorism, in the Straits of Malacca, is offering to send coast guard ships to help patrol this vital waterway between Malaysia and Indonesia. Japan's economy would be badly hurt if the straights were closed, as this would force tankers and other merchant vessels to take longer routes to and from Japan. With the current shipping shortage, this would drive shipping rates way up. Japan has already been training Indonesian naval and coast guard personnel at Japanese bases.This Strategypage report is in conflict with the March 30th US Office of Naval Inteligence (ONI) World Wide Threat to Shipping Report. The ONI report says Malaysian officials (via a Marine Police spokesman) rejected the Japanese offer back on 16 March.