#SouthChinaSea: Historical Imperative, backed up by Economic Imperative

Confronted with the US pivot and an extensive military build-up throughout the region, in 2013, President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang elaborated an extensive geo-political strategy of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Silk Road, or One Belt One Road. It's aimed to extricate China from its strategic encirclement by the US and its allies, while opening up further trade and investment opportunities for China. The 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road (MSR) is designed to go from China's coast to Europe through the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean in one route, and from China's coast through the South China Sea to the South Pacific in the other. It emphasises on improving connectivity with Southeast Asia, South Asia, West Asia and even Africa, by building a network of port cities along the Silk Route, linking the economic hinterland in China. More importantly, it aspires to improve China's geo-strategic position in the world.

 

China's acrimonious relations with some states in Southeast Asia due to maritime disputes have created complex circumstances for itself in building better relations with its neighbours. Through their vision of re-energising the MSR, Chinese leaders aim to impart a new lease of life to China's peripheral policy and diffuse the tension. The main emphasis was placed on stronger economic cooperation, closer cooperation on joint infrastructure projects, the enhancement of security cooperation, and strengthening maritime economy, environment technical and scientific cooperation. Beijing has even proposed to allocate up to $1.4 trillion to finance the huge array of infrastructure projects and is setting up financial institutions alongside the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and Asian Development Bank.

http://www.eurasiareview.com/22052016-chinas-maritime-grand-strategy-stoking-insecurities-with-aggressiveness-analysis/