Sea lanes of communications

Most of Asian energy consumption depends on the Middle East region and certain marine transport routes linking Asia and the Middle East.

Such existing marine routes have traditional security problems like naval build-up among countries and non-traditional security problems like pirates and traffic congestion.

About 80 percent of energy import in China comes from the Middle East and Africa. Energy transport ships pass a narrow marine route between Malaysia and Indonesia, the Strait of Malacca.

The future of energy security of China depends on how it can make such concentrated energy transport routes more diversified. China is creating conflicts with Vietnam and Philippines over naval build-up and territorial issues in the South and East China Seas in order to address the problem.