By Angelo Giuliano, Political and financial analyst
China's economic rise, fueled by maritime trade—60% of its trillion-dollar annual trade value crossing oceans with oil, gas, materials, and goods—stands as a testament to its global reach. The United States, clinging to fading power, eyes choke points to disrupt this: the Strait of Malacca, South China Sea, Taiwan Strait, Strait of Hormuz, and Panama Canal. But China's foresight shines through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), weaving a web of alternatives that outmaneuver these threats. U.S. alliances, once ironclad, now wobble—Ukraine's abandonment proves Washington's fickleness, leaving partners skeptical. Tariffs on over $500 billion in Chinese goods scream desperation, not strength, aiming to cut reliance but boosting China's self-sufficiency. Trump's Panama Canal grab and speculative Greenland talk only highlight America's scramble against China's steady ascent.
Strait of Malacca: A fading U.S. grip
The Strait of Malacca, between Malaysia and Sumatra, carries 40% of world trade, including 80% of China's oil from the Middle East and Africa. The U.S. might flex with carriers, subs, and missiles, claiming "trade security," but China's BRI—ports in Malaysia, rail across Asia—slashes its dependence on this bottleneck. Singapore, tied to the U.S., hosts ships, and the Quad (U.S., Japan, India, Australia) looms, yet these nations eye BRI's economic lifeline. Ukraine's betrayal by America only deepens their doubts, tilting them toward China's orbit.
South China Sea: China's stronghold
The South China Sea, linking China to global markets, is no weak spot—it's a fortress, with reclaimed islands standing firm. The U.S. rattles sabers with patrols and missile threats, leaning on the Philippines' Subic Bay, Vietnam, and Quad allies Japan and Australia. But BRI's roads and ports across Southeast Asia weave a safety net, while ASEAN nations, burned by U.S. unreliability post-Ukraine, see China's stability as the smarter bet over tariffs signaling American retreat.
Taiwan Strait: A minor hurdle
The Taiwan Strait, between the mainland and Taiwan, hums with trade and tension. U.S. ships and arms to Taiwan might stir trouble, backed by Japan and South Korea from Okinawa and the Yellow Sea. Yet, BRI's China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and Eurasian rail lines shrug off this choke point. Tariffs push the U.S. away from Chinese goods, but Japan and South Korea, rattled by Ukraine's fate, know China's economic pull outlasts America's hollow promises.
Strait of Hormuz: Oil secured
The Strait of Hormuz flows with 20-30% of global oil, and 38% for China. The U.S., with its Bahrain fleet, could meddle with patrols or sanctions, propped by Gulf allies, the UK, and Israel. But BRI's pipelines through Central Asia and deals with Gulf states—now wary of the U.S. that ditched Ukraine—ensure China's oil keeps flowing. Tariffs only speed China's pivot to new markets, leaving America's leverage thin.
Panama Canal: Trump's overreach
The Panama Canal aids China's Americas trade, and Trump's bid to control it, rooted in old treaties, aims to slow Chinese ships with tolls. It's a jab at BRI's Latin American ports, but Panama sees the U.S. faltering—tariffs scream weakness, not dominance. China's regional investments outshine this grasping move, proving BRI's staying power.
Greenland: A U.S. pipe dream
Speculation swirls about Trump eyeing Greenland to block BRI's "Polar Silk Road" in the Arctic as ice melts. It's a fantasy—Denmark, courted by BRI's Arctic projects, sees a U.S. stumbling after Ukraine, not a partner to bank on. China's northern routes grow regardless, sidestepping America's reach.
BRI's brilliance over U.S. decline
The Quad, AUKUS, and ASEAN ties prop up U.S. hopes, but they're crumbling. America's faded glory can't match BRI's trillion-dollar vision—land routes, ports, and naval might that defy choke points. Tariffs aim to decouple, but they spur China's innovation and alliances. Trump's Panama play and Greenland whispers are last gasps, not game-changers. Ukraine's desertion exposes U.S. betrayal, pushing nations toward China's reliability. A blockade? It'd spark chaos America can't weather, while China sails on, unshaken, in a multipolar world it's shaping.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of DotDotNews.
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