Asia-Pacific Maritime Security Strategy: Achieving U.S. National Security Objectives in a Changing Environment.

摘要

INTRODUCTION. The United States has enduring economic and security interests in the Asia-Pacific region. And because the region--stretching from the Indian Ocean, through the South and East China Seas, and out to the Pacific Ocean--is primarily water, we place a premium on maintaining maritime peace and security. To that end, the Department of Defense has three maritime objectives in the Asia-Pacific region: to safeguard the freedom of the seas; deter conflict and coercion; and promote adherence to international law and standards. Why We Safeguard the Freedom of the Seas. The United States has, throughout its history, advocated for the freedom of the seas for economic and security reasons. Maritime Asia is a vital thruway for global commerce, and it will be a critical part of the region s expected economic growth. The United States wants to ensure the Asia-Pacific region s continued economic progress. The importance of Asia-Pacific sea lanes for global trade cannot be overstated. Eight of the world s 10 busiest container ports are in the Asia-Pacific region, and almost 30 percent of the world s maritime trade transits the South China Sea annually, including approximately $1.2 trillion in ship-borne trade bound for the United States.1 Approximately two-thirds of the world s oil shipments transit through the Indian Ocean to the Pacific, and in 2014, more than 15 million barrels of oil passed through the Malacca Strait per day. Freedom of the seas, however, includes more than the mere freedom of commercial vessels to transit through international waterways. While not a defined term under international law, the Department uses freedom of the seas to mean all of the rights, freedoms, and lawful uses of the sea and airspace, including for military ships and aircraft, recognized under international law.