Control of maritime choke points

 One hypersonic missile at one end of the Suez Canal by Russia or Iran is all that is needed to end the sashaying by the USA using fleets of whatever number. Not that Russia or Iran will do it now, but these two countries will realistically do it when threatened, and they just do not just engage in idle talk.

The USA had harboured the hope of using its naval power to blockade the Suez and Panana Canals and Straits of Malacca, in the event of conflict with China. China or Russia need not even have to send even one warship to put paid to those intentions. Just one hypersonic missile will take care of that, cleanly, efficiently and casualty free.

Why is China exploring alternative land and sea routes and building pipelines for oil movements while still going around the Straits of Malacca? China is hedging its bets. The land routes are already now well entrenched, with the BRI railroads already linking Central Asia with Europe for trade. China is exploring and developing port facilites in Pakistan for transfering oil from the Middle East, going via Pakistan and/or Afghanistan by pipelines to Western China, not needing to depend on the Straits of Malacca. China is also actively exploring the feasibility of building the Kra Canal.

China and Russia are also exploring the sea passage through the Northern Artic sea. The effect of climate change makes the Northern Artic sea route more accessible today than previously. Moreover, Russian oil is being delivered to China via pipelines and totally within Russia and China's control. China already had anticipated all the issues and have taken steps to mitigate them.

The BRI was a masterstroke to build road and rail infrastructures and to recycle part of the US$ surpluses from trade with the USA. Instead of buying more USA treasuries and being held hostage in times of conflict, giving US$ loans to countries for infrastructure development to be repaid in Yuan is making the USA paranoid, nervous and hapless.

That the loans have been dispensed to countries all around the world gives the USA less leverage over China, and is a very astute move. China is not under any form of pressure fearing that those infrastructures will be seized by the USA, like most Russian assets, as infrastructures that China built in those countries do not belong to China.

Anonymous