Maritime channels refer to sea areas that large amounts of cargo pass through via shipping. They are of significant strategic value for economy and security, as they are the channels connecting major global centers of economy and resources, as well as the integral part of the most sea-lines and the point of convergence of various interests. Since the implementation of the policy of Reform and Opening-up, the security understandings and strategic thinking regarding maritime channels are undergoing constant change among decision makers and academia, as the Chinese economy transforms from being internally-oriented to export-oriented. In November 2003, President Hu Jintao stated to solve the “dilemma of the Malacca Strait” at the Central Economic Work Conference, which was an early public expression of concern from the top decision-makers in China about maritime channels. In 2006, the white paper China’s National Defense first mentioned the security issue of the maritime channels of transportation.1497716 In 2012, the Chinese government proposed the strategic goal of building a maritime power as a strong nation, a signal that China has been transforming into a sea power from a thousand-year-old land power and that this transformation is being established as a national policy.

Chinese academia is in sync with decision-makers regarding their attention towards maritime security. At the beginning of the 21st century, there were two inclusive discussions in academia about topics such as whether China is a land power or a sea power and whether the “dilemma of the Malacca Strait” exists. Since 2010, maritime security has become one of the major challenges in China’s foreign affairs with neighboring countries. Academic discussions focus on issues such as disputes over territorial land and waters, China-US relations, maritime security, and maritime strategic construction.

There has been an obvious shift in the focus of decision-makers and academia on maritime security. The ever-growing demand of national interests also equips maritime channels with more missions; from safeguarding energy supply to safeguarding comprehensive security in politics, foreign affairs, economy, and the military of the country. Maritime channels have grown into an important strategic support for China to become a major country in the world.1497717 This was concretized in 2013 when President Xi Jinping came up with the initiatives of the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (One Belt One Road for short). These initiatives are not only new models of regional cooperation plans, but also drafts of a macro strategy of China’s neighborhood including politics, economy, security and culture. The radius of One Road is highly similar to the maritime channel. Therefore, it is a research agenda with significance in a real sense in evaluating the current security of China’s maritime channels; integrating the key factors in One Road, the layout of maritime strategic pivots and incorporating the interests of both economy and security.

This paper focuses on how China should construct a maritime strategic pivot in Southeast Asia. Southeast Asia is the source of strength for the One Road initiative and the sea areas of Southeast Asia are the most important in the global maritime network of China. The security status quo of this sea area and the security demands of China are both constantly changing. With the adjustment of national strength comparison and the Asia-Pacific security layout, the gaming among major countries over critical sea areas is the major factor impacting China’s maritime security. It is necessary for China to aim at its long-term need, enhance the strategic understanding of maritime channels, and develop better capacity to handle the maritime channels. Such capacity building needs to be supported by regional cooperation and maritime military forces, and needs to be coordinated with the One Road initiative, confirming the strategic pivot, and expanding China’s capacity of management and control regarding important ports along the maritime channels via interconnectivity, infrastructure and industrial parks. Among those ports, the priority should be given to ports of Sumatra Island and Kalimantan Island of Indonesia.