Follow-up to my post #33 (*):
Also in Southeast Asia, China is pushing to secure the narrow Malacca Strait, which experiences 40% of the world's piracy. As much as 80% of China's oil imports flow through the 630 mile-long strait, which is just 1.5 miles wide at its narrowest point. Like Japan and the US, China is pushing to acquire a national fleet of very large crude carriers, or VLCCs, that could be employed in the case of supply disruptions brought on by an accident or terrorist attack along the Malacca Strait or a US-led blockade during a conflict over Taiwan. Currently, only 10% of China's crude oil imports come aboard Chinese vessels. China's growing anxiety over the security of its oil imports was demonstrated in June 2004, when China conducted its first anti-terror exercise simulating an attack on an oil tanker.
China is also looking into bypassing the straits with discussions for a pipeline to Myanmar, as well as possibly Bangladesh, Pakistan or Thailand. Pakistan looks like an unlikely candidate given the threat of terrorist attacks on pipelines traversing its territory. A pipeline through Bangladesh would have to cross the territory of strategic competitor India. Increasing sectarian violence in southern Thailand coupled with the country's close relationship with the US make a pipeline through Thailand unlikely as well. This leaves Myanmar as the most likely option, with a 1,250 kilometer pipeline from the deepwater port of Sittwe on the Bay of Bengal to Kunming in Yunnan province. Coupled with India's desire to access energy resources within Myanmar and Myanmar's proximity to India's troubled northeast insurgencies, Myanmar has become a potential stage for Sino-Indian energy competition.
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atimes.com
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