The control of geographic chokepoints

Chokepoints play crucial roles and deserve careful consideration. This applies to various situations, ranging from individual circumstances to interactions among businesses, local and regional authorities, and especially rivalries between major powers.

In the latter case, these involve the control of supply chains, access to markets, infrastructure, trade routes, strategic locations and military mobility. The bulk of global trade and supply flows pass through maritime routes, as do military forces worldwide.

The critical chokepoints in the geopolitical context are the narrow sea passages, along with ports and their capacity limits. Establishing maritime bases near these narrow straits offers two key advantages: ensuring free passage for a country’s own vessels, and creating the potential to block adversaries.

The critical chokepoints in the geopolitical context are the narrow sea passages, along with ports and their capacity limits.

 

Chokepoints as weapons

This is not new. During the early days of the British Empire, London focused on securing key strategic locations, starting with Gibraltar to gain access to the Mediterranean and the Cape Colony in present-day South Africa during the Napoleonic Wars, both of which were vital for connecting to Asia, especially India. Over time, this strategy led to the establishment of Singapore, which controlled the Strait of Malacca. The opening of the Suez Canal further shortened the route to Asia through the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. London then complemented Gibraltar with the strategic islands of Malta and Cyprus, as well as Aden at the mouth of the Red Sea, opening to the Indian Ocean. Finally, Hong Kong emerged as the ideal trade hub at the outflow of the Pearl River in East Asia.

The motto “Britannia rules the waves” was thus solidified. However, this dominance ended with the empire’s demise following the two world wars.

Since the beginning of the 21st century, China has aggressively pursued a path to global hegemony. Through a variety of economic and technological measures – including recycling and stockpiling resources – the country has reduced its reliance on external supplies. Yet these efforts alone are not enough. Through its “String of Pearls” strategy, Beijing is securing port facilities at critical locations around the world as part of its Belt and Road Initiative. Other investments and projects expand its influence further. A potential chokepoint could also emerge in access to payment and monetary systems, as China develops new digital solutions and leverages the BRICS group to promote broader adoption of these alternatives.

The new great game at sea

Both Russia and China are becoming more active in the Arctic, which is now increasingly open to navigation. Russia controls the Northeast Passage, offering access to the North Atlantic. Here, the chokepoint lies along the line from Greenland through Iceland to Scotland. The Arctic holds significant strategic importance, and controlling this maritime passage is essential to U.S. security.

The Panama example could serve as a blueprint for other locations where Chinese influence might threaten U.S. interests.

 

Another critical situation can be seen in the Panama Canal, where Hutchison, a Hong Kong-based company, has secured the port terminals at both ends of the canal. With about 5 percent of world trade passing through the canal, it is of immense significance to U.S. naval operations and the transportation of goods between the Atlantic and Pacific, and the American east and west coasts. Under pressure from Washington, Panama reevaluated the legal basis for the allocation to Hutchison, and its Supreme Court ultimately ruled that the arrangement was void. As a result, Hutchison – and by extension, China – lost control of a critical asset. It is likely that an American or European company will be brought in as a replacement.

This outcome is highly worrying for Beijing. The Panama example could serve as a blueprint for other locations where Chinese influence might threaten U.S. interests. Moreover, some countries might find it advantageous to curb their financial or logistical dependence on China, as such reliance could limit their ability to make independent decisions.

This comment was originally published here: https://www.gisreportsonline.com/r/geographic-chokepoints/