[Global Issue+] US 'Diamond' Strategy Countering China's 'Pearl Necklace' Strategy

China Connects Major Indian Ocean Ports via Belt and Road Initiative
US Attempts to Block China's String of Pearls Strategy through the Quad

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] At the G7 summit, where it was agreed to promote a new infrastructure development project to counter China's Belt and Road Initiative (land and maritime Silk Road), there are forecasts that the power struggle between the United States and China will intensify further. The U.S. is evaluated to be implementing the so-called "Diamond Strategy," represented by the anti-China military alliance Quad, to block China's "String of Pearls Strategy," which it aims to establish through the Belt and Road Initiative.

On the 12th (local time), at the G7 summit held in London, UK, since the previous day, the leaders of each country agreed to promote a global infrastructure maintenance plan to counter China's Belt and Road Initiative. The project is named the "Build Back Better World (B3W)" initiative, which is known to help solve the serious national debt problems that have worsened after Southeast Asian countries, especially those along the Indian Ocean route, participated in China's Belt and Road Initiative, and to suppress China's attempts to expand military bases in various countries through debt diplomacy.

China's Belt and Road Initiative is known as part of the String of Pearls Strategy, which aims to expand geopolitical influence in the Indian Ocean region. The String of Pearls Strategy is a plan to expand influence by connecting major trade ports throughout the Indian Ocean?from southern China through Southeast Asia, India, the Persian Gulf, to East Africa?forming a shape resembling a string of pearls, hence the name.

China's All-Out Effort Including Vaccine Diplomacy... Southeast Asian Countries Wavering

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

The Chinese government is reportedly making an all-out effort to build diplomatic relations with Southeast Asian and South Asian countries, which are key areas of the String of Pearls Strategy. Recently, the U.S. and China clashed over the issue of a naval base building in Cambodia.

Earlier, on the 1st, Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that a Chinese military building was constructed within Cambodia's Ream Naval Base, sparking controversy. Since 2010, the Ream Naval Base has been a site for annual joint exercises between the U.S. and Cambodian militaries, but the construction of a Chinese military building in the middle of the base led to protests from the U.S. government.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) also reported that China secretly agreed with Cambodia to lease the Ream Naval Base for 30 years, with contract extensions every 10 years thereafter.

China is actively building strong diplomatic relations by promising vaccine support not only to Cambodia but also to Laos, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. Especially in these regions, where India had been conducting vaccine diplomacy alongside the U.S., China's active vaccine diplomacy opportunity arose as India halted vaccine exports due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

U.S. Strengthens 'Diamond Strategy' Through Quad

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

The U.S. strategy to counter this is called the Diamond Strategy. The name comes from connecting the Quad countries?Japan, Australia, India, and the U.S.?which form a diamond shape when linked. Following the recent G7 meeting, the upcoming Quad summit expected this fall is anticipated to present a stronger U.S. strategy to contain China.

According to foreign media such as CNN, on the 8th, the U.S. White House announced that it aims to hold an in-person summit this fall with the four Quad countries: the U.S., Japan, Australia, and India. Previously, the Quad members held only virtual meetings in March due to the COVID-19 situation.

The White House mentioned that additional cooperation on vaccine distribution and international infrastructure development will be key agenda items at the upcoming Quad meeting, which is interpreted as measures to block China's vaccine diplomacy and Belt and Road Initiative. The Biden administration is reportedly striving to hold a direct summit as soon as possible to strengthen the framework of the China containment strategy. As COVID-19 issues gradually subside with vaccination efforts worldwide, concerns are rising that the U.S.-China power struggle will intensify again in the second half of this year.