Sep 04, 2010
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Strait of Malacca
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Strait of Malacca
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Strait of Malacca
Dean Cheng of the Heritage Foundation said that Beijing appears to be pursuing what has been widely known as a "string of pearls" strategy of cultivating India's neighbors as friendly states, both to protect its economic and security interests and to balance a "rising India".
Dean Cheng also adds that in 2010, China imported more than 50 per cent of its oil consumption for the first time. "There is little question that it is the key choke-point on China's oil supply routes. Part of China's interest in developing alternative ports and pipelines, such as in Pakistan and Burma, would seem to be motivated by a desire to reduce the criticality of the Malacca Strait," he said. "Even if China's oil lifeline did not have to transit the Strait of Malacca, it would nonetheless traverse significant portions of the Indian Ocean.
The growth of the Indian navy means that Chinese economic development is potentially at the mercy of India, as well as the United States. The bonding of Indian security links with Japan and America is therefore a source of concern," he noted.
