February 7, 200917 yr The 9th NEW Harpoon scenario of the year! Gwadar you up to? India vs China & Pakistan - Jan 24, 2015 China has been a net oil importer since 1993, with the bulk of its Middle Eastern energy imports being transported circuitously by sea via the Strait of Malacca. The country's rising demand for overseas oil, fuelled by its rapid economic growth, has raised concern about becoming over-reliant on this narrow waterway. An alternate supply route in the form of a road and an eventual pipeline from Gwadar, Pakistan to China's westernmost provinces would reduce the dependence. Moreover, situated opposite the Strait of Hormuz, through which 40 per cent of the world's energy exports flow, Gwadar offers Beijing opportunities to monitor shipping along the worlds key oil 'highway' as well as US naval movements in the Gulf region. In addition to enhancing Chinese energy security, Gwadar also offers Beijing substantial strategic leverage in South Asia. The new port in Pakistan, coupled with the Chinese-backed development of a container port facility at Chittagong in Bangladesh, is likely part of Beijing's larger strategy of 'strategic encirclement' of its rival neighbour, India. New Delhi has become increasingly unsettled at the prospect of coastal Balochistan being used as a Chinese listening post, as well as the possibility that Chinese naval vessels could dock in such close proximity to Indian territory. [From Jane's Foreign Report 27 March, 2007] Author: Eric Weincam Harpoon ANW users can get the: Complete Harpoon ANW Library Harpoon3.6.3 users can get the: Complete Harpoon 3.6.3 Library FilesOfScenShare
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