SCS: A ‘fortified’ Chinese Lake and its Vulnerabilities China’s consolidation of the SCS is almost certain not because of its ability to establish a full spectrum sea control in the SCS but because none of the regional countries nor the US wants to escalate the tension by provoking China. [...] The Quad members from the region - India, Australia, and Japan are enhancing their capabilities, while the US remains the predominant naval power in the region. [...] The US strategy is to contain Chinese naval power past the boundaries of Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.8 Sustained US naval operations around Southeast Asia can cut off Chinese supply routes and aid, inflicting severe damage to Chinese power projection and making the country more or less locked inside the “first island chain”.9 In this regard, getting a military foothold in the Pacific. [...] The Wall Street Journal in July 2019 revealed a secret agreement between China and Cambodia granting the Chinese Navy access to the base, rejecting the US offer to repair the base, creating anxiety about the Chinese larger game plan for power projection.10 Though both countries have rejected the report, China has stepped up the construction activities at both the locations, including a massive 3,4. [...] While out of the southern part of the Eastern Indian Ocean, a coordinated strategy with Australia and the US would help prevent Chinese maritime influence in the region.
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