The security in Malacca Strait has been one of the greatest issues for the countries of Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. It has also been the issue for all the States that make use of the Strait. The threats directly come from the regional piracy that extremely deteriorates the security in the Strait and surrounding waters. The potential dangers are very much involved with the threat from the terrorism, which can work together with local piracy to target the shipping industry.

　

 The international cooperation and collaboration is very much of necessity for the bordering countries and the user countries in the region. The international cooperation can help decrease the frequency of piracy to certain extent. The international cooperation can also enhance the publicity to understand the potential threat from the terrorism and therefore can promote the regional collaboration to combat the common threat of the terrorism. For the bordering states and user states of the Strait, it could have been disaster if the Strait should have been attacked or destroyed and blocked for some reasons, then the consequences would have been severe to the regional stability and sustainable economy development.

　

Keywords: Malacca Strait Security International Cooperation

　

 The World is full of threat and danger. It is no exception for the Asia, especially the Malacca Strait. This Malacca Strait has a unique geographical location in term of politics, economy, military, as well regional security.

　

 The Malacca Strait is of extremely importance to the regional economic sustainable development. The Strait connects the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea, the Strait therefore has a strategic significance for the regional economic development as most of ships pass through the Strait.

　

 All the bordering countries of the Strait very much depend upon the volume of the ships passing through the Strait for their economic sake. The user countries from a broader view include China, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, as well India, extending to those countries in South Asia, as well the East Africa.

　

 Malacca Strait and Singapore Strait are important to user States because these countries are dependable upon the import by sea. For example, China, Japan and Korea import oil from the Middle East and Africa, most of the oil tankers have to take the only route from the oil export countries to these three countries, without any doubt, the oil tankers certainly pass through the Straits of Malacca and Singapore.

　

 Malacca Strait and Singapore Strait are full of danger and threat. Piracy attack report by the International Maritime Bureau is very high in the Strait and in the vicinity. The bordering countries of the Strait, i.e. Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, have worked together closely to ensure the safety and security of the Strait for shipping sector.

　

 With the increasingly piracy attack and the potential terrorism involvement in the Strait and the region, the Malacca Strait is vulnerable and in the face of being attack by the piracy and terrorism. These potential danger and threat will greatly affect the user states like China, Japan and Korea.

　

 Call for international cooperation to ensure the safety and security of the Strait has been initiated since 2002, ever since 9.11 attack. In this connection, China has taken a series of actions and measures, wishing to get involved with keeping the Strait safer and more secure by joint exercise, establishing meeting schemes with countries concerned, and training the personnel for the region.

　

 China has indicated to cooperate with the Strait countries by all means. The safety and security of the Strait can ensure the safe shipping and reliable transport of oil at sea for China economic development. China has to rely on the imported oil for its energy and national economic sustainable development.

　

 It has been long time ago for Chinese to be connected with Malacca Strait. Historically, Chinese navigators pioneered to take the adventures to pass through the Strait much earlier than western people. In early 15^th Century, in Ming Dynasty, the Great Chinese navigator, General Zheng He led a magnificent fleet, passed through Malacca Strait, and sailed into the Indian Ocean over the waves and currents, the trace of Chinese navigators can still be found in the west Asia and east Africa.

　

 Since the World War two, the World has changed a great deal. In the process of world change with aspect to the politics, economy, culture and technology, the security is a unchangeable topic.

　

 With the globalization, the security has become outstanding issue in terms of inter-continent and integrity. The security issue has wider concept from its tradition like politics and economy, to a up to date idea like involving social, environmental and cultural areas. The globalization also makes it more important in aspects of science and technology, eco-system, information with regards to the security.

　

 As China has been developing increasingly and rapidly, its strategic interests also expand, China pays more attention to the national security, to financial security, as well to environmental security. China international security policy should aim at more involving in international society, in order to expand its strategic interests. China practically should establish mutual trust scheme, to enhance the regional security system. One of the fundamental policies in China national security is to maintain the nation's sovereignty, territory integrity, and the nation's united.

　

 In the background of globalization, all nations in the World are much concerned with the strategic passage. The economy globalization and information technology have made it necessary the transport and logistics in materials, all of which rely on the strategic passage very much.

　

 China is closely connected with international market. China domestic materials could not meet the increasing demand; the strategic resources, especially crude oil, very much rely on the import. One of the threats for China in near future will be the shortage of the energy, the primary one will be the crude oil. It is therefore critical for Chinese economy development to keep sufficient amount of crude oil, as well to keep the Malacca strait secure and clear for shipping.

　

 From the point of view of crude oil importing to China, the main oil exporting countries include those in Middle East, and those in Africa. All of these oil are transport by sea, about 80% of the sea transported oil are carried by ships through the Malacca Strait. Every day, about 60% ships out of total number of the ships transiting the Malacca Strait fly Chinese flags or are Chinese owned. China must be fully aware of the critical situation of the potential strategic threat resulting from the crude oil transport by sea, and be ready to re-adjust its strategic planning, for oil energy security. The significant sea lines include Taiwan Strait, South China Sea, Malacca Strait, the Indian Ocean, Arabic Sea. China should develop its navy power to assure the sea transport secure and safe, further increase its ocean going fleet, to maintain a friendly relationship with those countries in Southeast Asia, in order to the sea passage secure and safe.

　

 The strategic passage is a critical issue for China's economy security, and is a national key interest, all efforts must be made to establish spider web like passages, to ensure the passage capacity in transit and transport.

　

 The security of the Strait is one of the key factors affecting China's shipping safety. The significance of the Strait has become more and more essential to Chinese maritime industry and shipping rector.

　

 The Malacca Strait is the only water passage for Chinese fleet connecting the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean. The physical distance between the Strait and Chinese waters territory is short. The Chinese shipping industry and its safety would have been affected if the Strait should have been controlled by any power State out of the region; especially in a time of war, the Strait could be blocked. For a quite long time, China will still keep using this water passage as the only sea transport way, China has to get involved with the maintenance of the peace and security of the region, to make sure the Strait is safe and sea worthy.

　

 The statistics from IEA indicates that about one third increase of the global oil demand come from China, while China's reliance on import oil for consumption is over 40%.

　

 The oil security and availability come from two aspects, one is the source of oil producing nation, another is transport passage. The biggest issue for China's oil security is the Malacca Strait dilemma. Because China imports oil mainly from Middle East and Africa, about 90% import oil are carried by sea, while 80% of the sea transported oil are through Malacca Strait. Though sea piracy and terrorism exist in Malacca Strait, it is not the biggest issue, to the contrary, China is afraid of the Strait blockage to China oil security and oil import passage.

　

 To control global sea passages is one of the main targets of US global strategy. Since 2003, USA has indicated the intention to send troops to Malacca Strait, to help Southeast Asia countries to combat the terrorist. But Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia are all aware of the true meaning and refused the request from USA. From this point of view, China could not ignore the threat from USA.

　

 To solve the Malacca Strait blockage, several suggestions have been brought to the attention, they can be summarized as follows:

 In this connection, it may be more reasonable to consider a strategic planning for China to make a long-term plan for oil transport. One solution is to use the Malacca Strait as one of the important sea transport passage; another solution, in a long run, could be a land pipe line connection across middle Asia.

　

 Malacca Strait is also referred to as "Hua Shan" (one of the famous mountains in China where the location has a strategic condition). Malacca Strait is extending from southeast to northwest, over a range of 1100 kilometers. It is one of the busiest straits in the world, and is the only sea way for Chinese oil tankers to pass through.

　

 Every year, China, Japan and Korea import oil up to 450 million tons. All of the oil are carried by sea through the Malacca Strait. Core, iron ore and coal from Brazil, Australia etc are also transported through the Malacca Strait to Southeast Asia.

　

 Since 2003, China has surpassed Japan and become the second largest oil consuming country, the oil consumption in China is 7.6% out of the total oil consumption worldwide. While India has become the top six oil consuming country in the World.

　

 It is estimated that by 2030, China import oil can meet 74% demand. Most of the oil will be imported from Middle East. By 2025, about two third imported oil will be from the Middle East, among them, the Saudi Arabia, Iraqi, and Iran will be the biggest oil supply countries.

　

 China and some other Asian countries do not have sufficient navy power to protect the deep sea waters territory. India is said to own three war plane carriers between 2015 and 2025. China Navy develops at a very high speed. China is assisting Myanmar to build a modernized port; at the same time, China is also helping Pakistan to construct a deep sea port.

　

 Since the 80s in the 20^th century, USA has planned to control the 16 sea passages globally, in case of war, to block navy power of other countries. India also has established a base just at the west mouth of the Strait, the purpose is to control the Indian Ocean. To the east of the Strait, the bordering countries have conflicts over the territory. The piracy adds another dangerous factor to the Strait.

　

 The Malacca Strait is one of the thresholds for most oil tankers proceeding to China. China imports most oil from Persian Gulf, most of the oil tankers from the Gulf are VLCC type, this type of VLCC can only pass through the Malacca Strait. Apart from the routes of Middle East, there are some other routes like North Africa, West Africa, and Southeast Asia, nevertheless, all of the oil tankers have no other way but the Strait to pass through for China.

　

 It is well known that Malacca Strait is extremely important to the Chinese oil transport chain. Some experts have described that the Malacca Strait is very vulnerable and dangerous to China, the security of the oil supply chain could become one of the potential threats to China energy utility.

　

 It is reported that globally 60% piracy attacks took place in the Strait, while the terrorism organizations have worked together with local pirates, therefore the oil tankers become clearly the "lovely target" to attack.

　

 Actually, Malacca Strait is only one of the examples full of danger and difficulty for China oil shipping industry. There are other places where are still beyond China's capacity for oil transport by sea; these areas include the exit waters in Persian Gulf, Good Hope of South Africa etc..

　

 As one of the researchers in China Social Science Institute stated that from the point of the oil transport routes, these areas are full of potential danger and threats, during peace time, we are not worried, in case of war or conflict, it could be a big trouble.

　

 According to the manager director of China Holdings Co. by the time of mid 2004, about 90% of China import oil was transported by foreign flag ships or ships flying convenient flags. It is estimated that the China oil import will amount to one hundred million tons.

　

 The security of the sea transport routes in Asia region is facing the new challenge due to the fact that the countries in Southeast Asia and Far East heavily depend upon the import oil from the Middle East. This is true to the Strait of Malacca, which is the busiest and most important Strait for East Asia. At present, 11 millions barrels of oil are transported through the Strait, the number will be doubled by 2030. The IEA declared that some of the passages in the vicinity, including the Strait would encounter the risk of being closed some day.

　

 It will be a nice chance for Southeast Asian countries to cooperate in the matter to protect these water ways and the Strait from the potential danger and risk. The Navy of these countries could work together to fulfill the task of maintaining the security of the region. By doing so, a scheme could be established among those countries concerned for the multi-laterally reliable trust system.

　

 With the development of China Navy being more powerful and the confidence for Japan Navy's deep sea operation being stronger, the intense competition would extend to the Persian Gulf.

　

 It is estimated that the shortage of the oil will result in the sever struggle worldwide for the oil storage. China has been very eager in this combat which has just started. China has been very generous in bidding the oil and LNG resources from the Middle East.