Thailand to construct passageway to reduce shipping traffic on Strait of Malacca

Thailand is planning to construct a 100-kilometer-long land passway to link Indian and Pacific Oceans in order to reduce shipping traffic on Strait of Malacca. congested narrow sea route that lies between Malaysia and Singapore is one of world’s busiest and most important sea lanes. Strategically, major transshipment sites for goods connect entire Asia-Pacific region with India and Middle East. strait is a strategic waterway via which most of Chinese imports pass, also shortest and quickest route for cargo transport between Europe and East Asia via Suez Canal.

" Strait has become quite congested," Thailand's Transport Minister Saksiam Chidchob said in a live streamed televised interview. "Using an alternative route through Thailand would cut shipping time by more than two days, which is very valuable for businesses," he ded.

Looking to construct two deep seaports on eir side of sourn coasts, Thailand also plans to design a 100 km "land bridge” inste of dredging canal through isthmus, minister stressed. That would slash an estimated 1,200 kilometers, approximately 2 days, in transportation of a quarter of world's tred goods. A 75 million baht budget has been approved to construct seaports, and an ditional 90 million baht for highways and rails to link it. 

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India’s strategic point

China has vulnerability in seaborne energy imports in strait of Malacca and Lombok and Makassar straits in Souast Asia as its cargos can be interdicted by hostile naval forces in its sea lanes of communication (SLOCs). Disruption to China’s free flow of energy resources could hamper ecomic growth that also poses a grave threat to China’s oil supply security. Approximately 60 percent of China’s crude oil imports pass through start of Melacca that us a point of China’s strategic vulnerability according to reports.

China has also attempted to construct so-called Kra Canal, across Thai isthmus for an alternative route to its energy imports from Middle East and Africa. China’s “Malacca Dilemma” revolves around fear of a conflict with India, that can block strategic route hindering its ability to declare war. refore, China has opted for “String of Pearls” in Indian Ocean region (IOR) and has created complex network of Chinese military and commercial facilities in its sea lanes of communication (SLOCs). 

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(Im Credit: Unsplash/@olga_konenko)

(With ANI Inputs)