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"The bulk of major Belt and Road projects are in Malaysia, South Asia and Indochina" -- subheading of the 2nd chart Malaysia and Indonesia control the Strait o

"The bulk of major Belt and Road projects are in Malaysia, South Asia and Indochina" -- subheading of the 2nd chart Malaysia and Indonesia control the Strait of Malacca, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes which doubled in traffic over the past decade [1]. The strait connects manufacturers in China to fast-growing large population centers in South Asia, including India, Pakistan and Bangladesh with over 1.5 billion people in total. Most of the projects facilitate trades between South Asia, Southeast Asia, and China. About half of the world's population live in these regions [2]. The projects to connect China to Russia and Europe serve two major purposes: 1) Energy security: Over 40% of the oil China imports comes from the Middle East [3], where it does not have much influence. Even imports from elsewhere are largely shipped over the seas which China does not control. 2) Geopolitical influence through trade and investment [1] http://www.seatrade-maritime.com/news/asia/exclusive-malacca-straits-vlcc-traffic-doubles-in-a-decade-as-shipping-traffic-hits-all-time-high-in-2017.html http://www.seatrade-maritime.com/news/asia/exclusive-malacca... Also: https://www.shipmap.org/ https://www.shipmap.org/ [2] More People Live Inside This Circle Than Outside Of It https://brilliantmaps.com/population-circle/ https://brilliantmaps.com/population-circle/ [3] http://www.worldstopexports.com/top-15-crude-oil-suppliers-to-china/ http://www.worldstopexports.com/top-15-crude-oil-suppliers-t...

nopinsight 8y ago
More info on the Strait of Malacca (emphases mine): "The strait is the main shipping channel between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, linking major Asian economies such as India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, China, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea. Over 94,000 vessels pass through the strait each year (2008) making it the busiest strait in the world, carrying about 25% of the world's traded goods, including oil, Chinese manufactured products, coal, palm oil and Indonesian coffee. About a quarter of all oil carried by sea passes through the Strait, mainly from Persian Gulf suppliers to Asian markets. In 2007, an estimated 13.7 million barrels per day were transported through the strait, increasing to an estimated 15.2 million barrels per day in 2011." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Malacca https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Malacca

nopinsight 8y ago

More info on the Strait of Malacca (emphases mine): "The strait is the main shipping channel between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, linking major Asian economies such as India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, China, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea. Over 94,000 vessels pass through the strait each year (2008) making it the busiest strait in the world, carrying about 25% of the world's traded goods, including oil, Chinese manufactured products, coal, palm oil and Indonesian coffee. About a quarter of all oil carried by sea passes through the Strait, mainly from Persian Gulf suppliers to Asian markets. In 2007, an estimated 13.7 million barrels per day were transported through the strait, increasing to an estimated 15.2 million barrels per day in 2011." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Malacca https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Malacca