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

by Eric Olander

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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