Стратегия «жемчужной нити» как мера для реализации инициативы китайского морского шелкового пути

Unlike the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the Indian Ocean is a closed one, bordering four continents, which makes its `access` very limited. Its many straits, called “Choke Points”,6 some of the famous of them around the world are:

• The Malaccan strait in the Indian Ocean;
• The Gulf of Hormuz in the Middle East;
• The Suez Canal `linking` the Mediterranean and the Red Sea;
• The Panama Canal `linking` the Atlantic with the Pacific Ocean;
• The Strait of Bosporus (Turkish Strait) `linking` the Mediterranean Sea to the Black Sea;
• The three Danish Straits `linking` the Baltic Sea with the North Sea;
• The Strait of Bab al-Mandeb forming a gateway for vessels to pass through the Suez Canal, through the east coast of Africa [Marine Insight, 2019].

These narrow straits regulate incoming and outgoing traffic and have historically been used to restrict `access` to trade routes during the war. The Indian Ocean multiple straits are its main `access` points:

• the Strait of Bab al-Mandab7 connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden:
• the Strait of Hormuz8 connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman:
• the Strait of Malacca9 between Malaysia and Indonesia:
• the Sunda Strait and Lombok Strait in Indonesia [EFSAS, 2019, P. 2].

More than 80% of the world’s maritime trade oil passes through Indian Ocean “Choke Points”, in which:

• 40% oil passes through Strait of Hormuz;
• 35% passes through Strait of Malacca;
• 8% passes through the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

A significant part of exported goods produced in the PRC goes to the world market through the Indian Ocean to the Strait of Malacca [Jash, 2018, P. 73]. Through the Suez Canal 14% of world merchandise trade and 60% of Chinese exports to Europe pass; and half of the imported Chinese oil source with expectations that it will double by 2035. Through the Bab al-Mandab Strait passes most of China’s daily exports to Europe cost US $ 1 billion [Matar, 2018]. Some 30% of China’s sea trade worth more than US $ 300 billion presently moves across Indian Ocean [Khurana, 2008, P. 2-3]. China imports 80% of its oil (through the Strait of Malacca) and India imports 65% of its oil through Indian Ocean from ME and North Africa (MENA) [Khan, Khalid, 2018, P. 248]. According to U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), more than 17 billion barrels of oil passed out through the Hormuz Strait per day. More than 85% of the crude oil passing through the Strait of Hormuz - the geographical “Choke Point” and the main artery for transporting oil from the MENA - goes to Asian markets, especially to two rapidly growing economies and largest oil importers - China and India, and also in South Korea and Japan, whose fuel dependence is growing and highly dependent on MENA oil [Roudgar, 2017, P. 74].

By the end of 2013, China had become the largest trader and largest importer of oil in the world. And since China becomes more and more dependent on oceans for international trade, fuel supply and cargo shipment, the ME remains the most important source of energy, security in the Indian Ocean and, therefore, Sea Lines of Communication security from Bab el Mandeb, Hormuz to the Strait of Malacca are vital for China [Zhou, 2014].

The Indian Ocean also plays an important role for China in its space exploration program. The vessel for tracking and controlling spacecraft and satellites "Yuan Wang" is based west of Australia; and in the port of Karachi there is a Chinese ground station that performs this kind of function. Under the auspices of the PRC, the Asia-Pacific Space Organization has been created, which includes Iran, Bangladesh, Pakistan and other countries [Лебедева, 2011].