China’s Dream of Direct Access to the Indian Ocean is Finally Becoming a Reality in Myanmar

China has long regarded its dependence on transiting goods through the narrow Malacca Straits on the Malay peninsula as among its most serious national security vulnerabilities. In the event of a conflict with the United States, the U.S. Navy could easily block the strait and effectively cut China off from its energy suppliers in the Persian Gulf.

Years ago, Chinese strategic planners went to work to build new overland trade routes with direct access to the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean via South and Southeast Asia with the aim of eliminating its so-called “Malacca Dilemma.”

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by Eric Olander

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Developing Countries’ Debt Servicing Costs to China Are Significant, but Nowhere Near as Much as Other Creditors
2 Chinese Military Fans Discuss Why Indonesia Bought Rafale Instead of J-10C
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4
Indonesia Goes Nuclear, Taps China and Russia for Modular Reactors
5 Trump’s Contradictory Iran Strategy Leaves U.S. Weaker After War’s End, Says Chinese Commentator
6
Thailand in Last-Minute U.S. Talks as 36% Tariff Looms

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