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Ian Storey, a scholar at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore, calls the South China Sea policy "China’s Malacca Dilemma."

On one hand, Beijing claims the waters from the island of Hainan south to the Indonesian island of Natuna as an internal sea, and has suggested that the United States withdraw from the region. A Chinese admiral suggested that the US and China split the Pacific, with China controlling the western half and the US moving to the east. Keating immediately stated explicitly that the US was in Asia to stay. On the other hand, China’s Navy, while modernizing, is still not strong enough to enforce its claim to the South China Sea and to ensure that the strait remains open for the ships plying the China trade and bringing in the bulk of the nation’s oil imports.

"At present, China lacks the naval power necessary to protect its sea-lanes," Storey wrote. "Beijing fears that during a national security crisis ships carrying energy resources could be interdicted by hostile naval forces. Any disruption to the free flow of energy resources into China could derail the economic growth on which the Chinese government depends to shore up its legitimacy and pursue its great power ambitions."

American Pretext?

Thus, China has "a vested interest in the elimination of transnational threats in the waterway," said Storey, "yet Beijing remains uneasy at the prospect of a greater role for external powers in securing the strait."

Some Chinese analysts have accused Washington and Tokyo of "using the threat of terrorism" as "a pretext to expand their naval presence in and around the strait." The Chinese have watched with concern as India has enhanced its presence in the area, especially the modernization of military facilities on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands at the strait’s northwest terminus.

Some in the Chinese commentariat have demonstrated worries that have "bordered on the paranoid," Storey said. One Chinese newspaper, he observed, recently condemned US Indonesia military cooperation as "targeting China" and aiming at "controlling China’s avenue of approach to the Pacific."

US strategy is to rely on Southeast Asian nations to take the lead in protecting the waterways. The supporting role of the US ranges from providing equipment and training, combined exercises, bilateral exchanges, ship visits, multilateral conferences, and planning sessions, to medical and humanitarian assistance.

>>LINK<<

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Posted Fri 18 July 2008 10:06 PM Hide Post
To a small correction to your essay , In order to get hold of CHina or taiwan Japan and Korea , the easiest way is just to cut down their energy transportation route , that way you can subjugate them all . But just to get hold of malacaa straight is not enough , you need both Malacca and singapore stright , the main ciziten of singapore is chinese genetically . Thus they are unlikely to assit Us for the purpose to damage their close kin .

Thus In this reason I highly doubt the idea for contain China with the strategy of control malacca straight is wise.

I think it is important to notice that Us does have the ambition to be the world's only hagamon power , secrure and control all water path , and straight is evidence .

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On one hand, Beijing claims the waters from the island of Hainan south to the Indonesian island of Natuna as an internal sea, and has suggested that the United States withdraw from the region. A Chinese admiral suggested that the US and China split the Pacific, with China controlling the western half and the US moving to the east.

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Originally posted by onibattousai:
The reality is, it does sound harsh, but US has no regard to other nation's sovereignty anyway.

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Originally posted by Sgt_Schlappy:

quote:

Originally posted by onibattousai:
The reality is, it does sound harsh, but US has no regard to other nation's sovereignty anyway.

That is an idotic comment, but then, look at the source.

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Originally posted by Sgt_Schlappy:

quote:

Originally posted by onibattousai:
The reality is, it does sound harsh, but US has no regard to other nation's sovereignty anyway.

That is an idotic comment, but then, look at the source.

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when they call in their mark for payment, we will squeal like a pig