INSIGHT-Why the Indian Ocean could be China's Achilles' heel in a Taiwan war devdiscourse.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from devdiscourse.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
HONG KONG (Reuters) - Every day, nearly 60 fully loaded very large crude-oil carriers sail between the Persian Gulf and Chinese ports, carrying about half of the oil that powers the world s second-largest economy.
Why the Indian Ocean Could Be China's Achilles' Heel in a Taiwan War usnews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from usnews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
As the vessels enter the South China Sea, they ply waters increasingly controlled by China's growing military, from the missile batteries and airfields at its bases on disputed islands to its stealthy Type 055 destroyers. But when crossing the Indian Ocean, joined by others headed to China from Africa and Brazil, these tankers lack protection in a naval theatre dominated by the U.S. A dozen military attaches and scholars say that vulnerability is now being scrutinised as Western military and academic strategists discreetly game scenarios about how a conflict with China over Taiwan, or elsewhere in East Asia, could evolve or escalate.