What is China's String of Pearls? - Episode 2 of the BRI Breakdown series. China is on the move, and not everyone is so sure about it. The Chinese string of pearls is a geopolitical concept first proposed by American geopolitical researchers in 2004. The term refers to a network of current and potential Chinese military and commercial infrastructure and relationships, extending from the Chinese mainland, to Port Sudan on the Red Sea and in the Horn of Africa. Mainly the concept is centred on the Indian Ocean, but also includes the South China and Red Seas. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/arglobalsecurity (affiliate) Support my work here: https://www.patreon.com/ARGlobalSecurity Follow Me On Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@arglobalsecurity:1 Thank you for watching! All sources on Patreon. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The sea routes on which the pearls are built or being constructed, run through many of the world's most important geostrategic points, including the Strait of Molucca, the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab-el-Maneb Strait - all of which grow in geostrategic importance as China Rises. The first pearl on the long string stretching from China to the Red Sea and Persian Gulf, is generally considered to be the Yulin Naval base on the Chinese island of Hainan. This important piece of military infrastructure is thought to have an underwater submarine base, and is also thought to be of critical importance for the next pearl - namely China’s presence in the South China Sea. The next pearl on the string is the Chinese presence on a set of small islands in the South China Sea, many of which, such as Woody Island that plays host to a Chinese airstrip, have been militarised, tightening China’s grip on the area. As the string extends from the South China sea through the Strait of Molucca it enters the centrepiece of the concept - the Indian Ocean. Chinese pearls on the Indian Ocean are currently mostly commercial in nature, though the country has built hard military infrastructure as of 2017, and rumours of further military development have swirled - though this has not yet materialised. One such commercial pearl is the port of Hambantota, Sri Lanka. The port at Hambantota, situated on the far south of the island, overlooks the major shipping route connecting the strait of Molucca with the Bab El-Mandeb and Suez canal, giving it geostrategic relevance. As a result of a controversial series of events, China would secure a 99-year lease over Hambantota in December 2015 - increasing its influence. Another major pearl is the Chinese controlled deepwater port at Gwadar Pakistan - a piece of commerical infrastructure critical to the China-Pakistan economic corridor. For China, Gwadar represents an important geostrategic foothold due to its relative proximity to the Strait of Hormuz, an important chokepoint for Chinese oil imports. The final major pearl on the string is the Chinese military base in Djibouti City, Djibouti. This base represents the first major Chinese foray into an overseas military presence, and was built in 2017. So far the state has used this base for anti-piracy operations, but is also said to have used it for intelligence collection, non-combat evacuation operations, peacekeeping operations support and counterterrorism. What is Driving its Construction? China argues that its expanding presence in the Indian Ocean is commercial, and most importantly, peaceful in nature, with many of the pearls being part of the road component of the state’s belt and road international infrastructure development strategy. This view is supported by many experts, who, going by much of the available evidence, say that nearly all of the pearls would be indefensible in wartime. India, however, views the situation differently. Instead, India views the Chinese effort to develop commercial, and so far a small amount of military infrastructure, combined with the China-Pakistan economic corridor, as an attempt to encircle it - and this view is not without merit. As China continues to increase bilateral ties with Indian Ocean states, particularly in the realm of economic development, it also increases its influence in what India considers to be its own backyard. On top of this, China has also been accused of using debt-trap diplomacy - allegedly baiting in lesser developed states with unsustainable loans they cannot feasibly repay in order to increase its geostrategic leverage over them. However, this is still a topic of contention, with experts and analysts debating the extent to which debt trap diplomacy actually occurs. Fundamentally, the more ties grow between states surrounding India grow with China, the more leverage the latter has against the former.

• published: 02 Sep 2021
• views: 1302