Foreign Correspondence

[Amaunet]

China plans submarine facility close to Malacca Straits

Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz while Iran’s ally China is planning to construct a submarine facility on an Indonesian island close to another major chokepoint, the Malacca Straits.

China is giving Indonesia the means to produce missiles and the Pentagon Monday announced the possible sale of three Aegis naval weapons systems to Australia, saying it would increase the ability of the US and Australian navies to operate together.
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Meanwhile the U.S. closes embassy, offices in Indonesia. In order to counter China’s growing influence the Bush administration on Wednesday decided to upgrade military relations with Indonesia by permitting the sale of non-lethal defence equipment.

The move coincides with this week's visit of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia to Washington.
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http://news.ft.com/cms/s/a213c074-cd8a-11d9-aa26-00000e2511c8.html



Washington, DC, May. 16 (UPI) -- Insider notes from United Press International for May 16 ...

For China, nothing is more important than protecting its booming economy's energy supplies. Accordingly, Beijing is pursuing a "string of pearls" military strategy by acquiring facilities while it cultivates political relations with states from the Middle East to those bordering southern China. The concept's latest manifestation is sure to cause concern in the Pentagon, as China is planning to construct a submarine facility on an Indonesian island close to the Malacca Straits; Australia has already protested the move. While Beijing ostensibly wants to protect its Indian Ocean maritime communication routes and oil tankers from the Persian Gulf, the Pentagon views the "string of pearls" strategy as a pre-emptive measure to thwart a possible U.S. blockade of Chinese energy imports in the event of conflict erupting over Taiwan. A January Pentagon internal report outlined the "string of pearl" strategy, identifying key Chinese bases under construction in Gwadar, Pakistan, and facilities in Bangladesh, Myanmar, Cambodia and Thailand, commenting, "The Iraq War, in particular revived concerns over the impact of a disturbance in Middle East supplies or a U.S. naval blockade," adding that Chinese military leaders wanted a blue-water navy and "undersea retaliatory capability to protect the sea-lanes."
http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20050516-012138-3107r.htm




As part of the plan, Indonesian scientists would be able to dismantle Chinese missiles and study their systems so Indonesia could produce similar missiles, Kadiman said. Indonesia does not have a major missile programme. The country has also been unable to buy weapons from traditional supplier the United States because of a ban put in place following violence in neighbouring East Timor in the 1990s. For years, the world’s most populous Muslim nation has seen its main enemies as internal, such as separatist movements. Reuters
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