Why the Malacca Strait Matters: The Strategic Artery of China’s Interest.
- Global-Gazette
- 2 days ago
- 8 min read
ACHINTYA MAJITHIA
The Malacca Strait.
The Malacca Strait is a water channel connecting the Andaman Sea in the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea in the Pacific Ocean. It passes through southern Thailand, the island of Sumatra in Indonesia and western peninsular Malaysia, covering an area of 65000 square kilometers. This funnel-shaped strait is 800 km long, 65 km wide in the south, further expanding to a distance of 250 km towards the north between We Island in Sumatra and the Isthmus of Kra, located between the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea. The Malacca Strait derives its name from Melaka, which was an important trading port on the Malay coast during the 17th and 18th centuries.
Water depth in the southern part of the strait does not exceed more than 120 feet. The depth gradually increases to around 650 feet towards the northwestern part of the strait as it merges with the Andaman Sea. Multiple islets fringed by reefs and sand ridges, partially obstruct the passage at the southern entrance of the strait. The sand ridges are a result of the accumulation of material brought down by the rivers of Sumatra. The strait is also surrounded by low-lying swamp forests on both sides along the eastern coast of Sumatra. The climate of the entire region underlying the strait is characterised by a hot and humid climate.
As the maritime link between the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea, the Malacca Strait, being the shortest sea route between India and China, is therefore, one of the most busy shipping networks in the world. Historically, it determined the direction of major Asian migrations through the Malay Archipelago. The strait had been controlled by the Arabs, Portuguese, the Dutch and the British successively. As one of the world’s most important ports, Singapore is located towards the strait’s southern end.
During the late 20th and early 21st centuries, new oil wells had been established by petroleum companies to exploit the oil fields along the eastern coast of Sumatra. The strait also acts as a passage for giant oil tankers traveling between the oil fields of the Middle East to the ports of Japan and elsewhere in East Asia.
History of the Malacca Strait
The Malacca Strait has been a strategic location for centuries, serving as a bridge between maritime trade routes, knowledge centers and cultural exchange. Around 40% of global trade, and 80% of China’s oil imports pass through this strategic shipping channel.
In his book, ‘The Influence of Sea Power upon History’, American naval strategist, Alfred Thayer Mahan lays emphasis upon the importance of sea control through naval dominance, and its vitality for a nation’s power and global influence. He further mentions the choke-point of Malacca as a classical example of comprehending the significance of sea control. Throughout history, the strait has been the centre for power struggles, most notably between the Chola and Sri Vijaya Empires, during the medieval era.
Starting from the 11th Century CE, the Chola Empire, centered in the southern part of India, undertook naval expeditions across the Andaman Sea to the kingdoms of Sumatra and Malaya. Conducting maritime raids became a necessity for the Cholas considering the prevailing geopolitical dynamics at that time.
At that point in time, the Malacca Strait was a region of Geo-strategic relevance controlling the flourishing trade between India and China. In modern times, naval dominance is given primary importance within the principle of ‘Jalmev Yasya, Balmev Tasya’, which means, ‘One who controls the sea is all powerful’.
The Malacca Strait has been the historic maritime link between the western and eastern parts of the world, having facilitated trade all the way from the Red Sea up to the Song Empire in China traversing through the Indian Ocean region and the Champa Empire in present-day Vietnam. Prospects of lucrative trade and profits, placed Malacca at the epicenter of regional rivalry.
Control over the Malacca Strait rested with the Sri Vijaya Empire, whereas, the Javanese kingdoms had sway over the Sunda Strait, resulting in a competition for dominance among them. To avoid possible vulnerability of supply chains, the remaining realms in the region switched sides according to their convenience in order to maintain unrestricted access. Multiple diplomatic missions across nations in the region attempted to resolve this strategic dilemma from time-to-time.
In alliance with the Chinese, the Sri Vijaya Empire tried to create a strategic coalition to maintain the balance of power, raising concerns for the ruler of Angkor, who later sided with the Cholas. Following the capture of the Javanese capital of Mataram in 1016 CE, the Sri Vijaya Empire began controlling the Sunda Strait, leading to their amplified influence in the region. However, they were subsequently defeated by the Cholas following their exploitation of merchant ships through exorbitant tolls.
Sri Vijaya Empire
The Sri Vijaya Empire was a Buddhist maritime empire situated in modern Palembang, Sumatra that dominated the Malacca Strait between the 7th and 13th Centuries CE, thereby directly controlling the spice trade between China, India and the Middle East. Following the conquest of Srivijaya by the Javanese Majapahit Empire, the Sri Vijayan prince, Parameswara fled northward, later establishing the Malacca Sultanate in 1400 CE.
Sultanate of Malacca
The resurgence of Malacca into a regional political power by leveraging shrewd political maneuvers with geographical advantage. Parameswara secured Chinese protection by paying tribute to Emperor Yongle of the Ming Empire. This partnership brought about mutual benefits for both China and Malacca. China acquired a stable trading partner, while Malacca ensured protection against threats posed by Siam. The treasure fleets led by Admiral Zheng He often visited Malacca, using it as a major supply base. To facilitate these missions, storage and shipyard facilities were constructed along the banks of the Malacca River.
The peak period of Malacca’s prosperity was during the reign of Sultan Mansur Shah (1459-1477). Historical accounts described it as a vibrant international harbor where traders from Gujarat, Bengal, Arabia, China, and the Spice Islands carried out their transactions in a well-structured and impartial manner. The Malacca Legal Code, which was considered one of the oldest maritime codes of law in Southeast Asia, provided for the proper handling of commercial disputes, debt collection, and the dispensation of criminal justice. The Malacca government also minted its own tin coins in the shape of animals, which was an unusual but practical medium of exchange.
The adoption of Islam in 1414 marked another crucial turning point in strategy. This adoption brought a large number of Muslim merchants who dominated large parts of the Indian Ocean trade network. Malacca became a hub of Islamic learning while still embracing religious pluralism like Chinese temples, Hindu shrines, and later Portuguese churches stood side by side with the principal mosque, testifying to the city’s strong commitment to tolerance.
Portuguese Conquest and Subsequent Colonisation
The prosperity of Malacca caught the attention of European powers. Afonso de Albuquerque led the Portuguese conquest of the city following a one-month siege. This event led to the gradual displacement of indigenous trade networks by western colonizers. The Portuguese built the A Famosa fortress to defend their newly-acquired stronghold.
However, the establishment of Portuguese rule didn’t lead to the instant decline of Malacca. Though a few Muslim merchants migrated to rival ports such as Aceh and Johor, the city continued to be affluent throughout the 16th Century. More than 20,000 Arab traders continued to visit the city annually, as mentioned within Portuguese records. The status of Malacca as a prosperous trading port diminished following the Dutch conquest of the city in 1641, after a siege for over 8 months, ultimately resulting in the suppression of trade in Malacca and the redirection of commerce to the Dutch base in their Javanese capital in Batavia (present-day Jakarta).
The British emerged as the primary rivals of the Dutch in 1786, following the establishment of the George Town port in Penang along the northwestern coast of the Malay peninsula that later became a major transshipment port of the British East India Company. In 1824, both powers divided control over Southeast Asia amongst themselves in order to avoid any possibilities of conflict. As a result, dominion over the northern part of the Malacca Strait was ceded by the Dutch to the British in exchange for control over its southern region, which included a few British territories as well.
With George Town in Penang as Singapore as its primary trading port, Britain became the dominating power in the Strait of Malacca. The island of Singapore located at the southern tip of the strait, was more economically insignificant as compared to Malacca, which was most inhabited by Malay fishing families, in the early 1800s. In 1819, a few years prior to the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824, the British East India Company had established its first trading outpost in Singapore. It was in 1867 that the British greatly expanded it into a trading hub, following its declaration as an imperial colony.
For over five hundred years, the Strait of Malacca has been one of the most important maritime routes in the world, connecting the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Along this very narrow waterway, trading states rose and fell, including the Malacca Sultanate, from which the strait gets its name. Today, Singapore is the preeminent harbour in the area, but the historic city of Malacca remains as a testament to the trading past of Southeast Asia, with its streets designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site holding memories of past greatness.
The physical attributes of the strait made it inevitable that major trading centers would emerge along its coastline. Ever since ancient times, mariners navigating between China and India were faced with the dilemma of either embark on sea journey in the violent waters around Sumatra or make their way through the pirate-infested Strait of Malacca, necessitating the need to establish safe harbours for mariners awaiting favourable monsoon winds, thereby, paving the way for opportunities for strategic ports to flourish.
The Malacca Dilemma – A Strategic Advantage for India
Source: Google Map.
The term “Malacca dilemma”, coined in 2003 by the then Chinese President, Hu Jintao, corresponds to the strategic challenges regarding China’s heavy dependence on the Malacca Strait, accounting for 80% of its total crude oil imports.
In case of an emergency war-like situation with China, India, which has strategic military capabilities in the region, could utilize its navy to block China’s oil imports, using the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as its base leading to the severe disruption of China’s energy supplies and trade routes, economically destabilizing their nation. In such a scenario, a “90-day doomsday clock” would be ticking over China for alternate trade routes. In such an event, India could diplomatically negotiate with China to protect its interests on its own terms.
China has been allocating a considerable part of its budget in expanding its navy, to counter this threat. India is also developing a strong naval base in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands that are strategically located at the western entry-point of the Strait of Malacca.
Conclusion
The Malacca Strait has long stood at the crossroads of global maritime trade, shaping the rise and fall of empires while continuing to influence contemporary geopolitics. Historically central to economic prosperity and strategic dominance, it remains indispensable to China’s energy security and trade flows, making it both an asset and a vulnerability. This dependence, encapsulated in the “Malacca Dilemma”, highlights how control over this narrow chokepoint can translate into significant strategic leverage, particularly for regional powers like India. As naval capabilities expand and great-power rivalries intensify in the Indo-Pacific, the Malacca Strait will continue to be a critical arena where history, geography, and strategy intersect.
Author
Achintya, a Geopolitics and International Relations enthusiast with a degree in History Honours from Hindu College, University of Delhi.. He has authored and presented a research paper titled “Social Stratification and Diverse Martial Traditions of Indians in the Medieval Period: A Case Study through the Caste and Gender Lens” at the Indian Military Heritage Festival, organised by the United Services Institution of India under its Young Scholars Conference (Project Udbhav) in November 2024.
3. The Rise and Fall of Malacca: A Maritime Empire That Shaped Asia’s History – Ancient War History
4. The Strait of Malacca – a historical shipping metropolis - World Ocean Review World Ocean Review
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