Rivalry in the Red Sea
Rivalry in the Red Sea
The new focus on great power rivalry is generating profound changes in huge parts of the national security community, with the prospective of restructuring our comprehension of tactical priorities and geopolitical relationships in areas of long-established tactical significance. The Red Sea provides an enlightening case in point. According to Vertin (2020), the opening of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) at the mouth of the Red Sea has served to highlight the sea’s power development. The Chinese commercial and calculated development has highlighted the Red Sea as a possible stage of great power competition (Vertin, 2020). I do agree with this sentiment. I believe that the region is a magnet for outside powers, i.e., the US, China and Russia vying for its control. The establishment of a military presence in the region has enabled China to engage in large-scale investment, and is positioned to take advantage on the enlargement in Red Sea port infrastructure needed to meet the economic demands of the area in the coming years. The response of the US is military-and diplomacy-focused. Russia’s major interest is security and it desires to have an assured access to the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, and the ultimate basing in these regions.
The rivalry of the great powers in the region may have several impacts. For instance, for African countries like Djibouti which are on the shores of the Red Sea, the new engagement from outside powers, especially from China may fuel the “debt trap” diplomacy. China has helped to fund big-ticket infrastructure projects in Djibouti and there are concerns that the Chinese may leverage over Djiboutian assets and decision making (Vertin, 2020). The rivalry may also destabilize the region. These rivalries enhance a prospect of further security destabilization and of a setback in the realm of social and economic development of the fragile political entities in the area.
Reference
Vertin, Z. (2020, June 15). Great power rivalry in the Red Sea. Retrieved from https://www.brookings.edu/research/great-power-rivalry-in-the-red-sea/
