第3部 SLOCの安定と平和のための構想
第25章 SLOC安全保障のための国際協力(英語)
川村純彦 International Cooperation for SLC Security
International Cooperation for SLOC Security *
Rear Admiral Sumihiko Kawamura JMSDF (Ret)
Since the summer of 1997, regional economic troubles have besieged the Asia-Pacific region. Until this current crisis, however, rapid economic development drove the states of the region to become increasingly united within the Asia-Pacific region and linked the areas via the seas. To date, the basis of economic activity has resided with the steady flow of shipping of essential daily goods such as energy and food resources. When capital investments enter the region, the rising flow of manufactured goods supplement fundamental regional trade pat-terns, engendering even more prosperity for the region. Many expect this trend of a regional economic orientation toward maritime shipping to expand even further in the next century, once the region breaks out of the on-going economic crisis.
In order to invigorate the investment of capital that accelerates the flow of manufactured goods, a stable trade order must be maintained. To that end, both secure maritime shipping, as well as regional stability must be ensured as indispensable conditions for protecting a stable trade regime. Thus, the stability of regional sea lanes should continue to grow in importance as a fundamental political issue in the Asia-Pacific region.
Moreover, we no longer live in the days of sea lanes monopolised by a single nation or power. We have entered an era that will be defined by the extent of success various nations can achieve in continuing to develop together in a way that will ensure safe sea lanes and will adequately provide for their shared use.
Vulnerability of Sea Lines of Communication:
The issue of apportionment of marine resources grows in scope and importance, involving the interests of each nation in the Asia-Pacific region. In conjunction with the rise in dependence on fishing resources, the areas of overlapping claims by numerous nations in the East and South China Seas present cases that pose a high risk for eventual naval enforcement of rights.
Moreover, estimates of not only energy resources, but also mineral deposits on the sea bottom of these waters have fuelled hopes of resources exploitation and development, increasing the value of these disputed waters to the claimants. As with fishing rights, a battle to partition and apportion waters win intensify with a forecast of sea bed resources in waters totally or partially enclosed by disparate claimants.
If the presence of oil and natural gas is confirmed in the waters surrounding the Spratly Islands or other similar areas, disputes among the various claimants will certainly worsen, perhaps eventually leading to conflict in Southeast Asia. Such conflict would endanger third countries dependent on key sea lanes in the region.
Should a conflict erupt in a restricted area, third nation shipping also suffers major restriction on its freedom of navigation within the surrounding waters. As seen in the Iran-Iraq War, third nation tankers became entangled in the conflict. The conflict brought tanker traffic to a standstill for a long period of time, and even led to damage to ships, injury to crews, and environmental destruction as a result of crude oil leaked from damaged tankers. The impact on sea lanes due to such conflict-related disruption is dramatic, especially in waters characterised by complex traffic patterns.
As to the vulnerability of sea lines of communication(SLOC), Vice Admiral Makato Yamamoto(JMSDF, Ret.)stated in his paper presented in the 11th International Conference on SLOC Studies in Tokyo as follows:
SLOCs can function as a vast transportation network for shipping with relative ease so long as terminals and vital international sea routes are maintained.
* Prepared for The 12th International Conference on Sea Lines of Communication,Seoul,Korea,6-7 April,1999
