China's Coming Maritime Struggle: A Long Game of Cat and Mouse The warnings from Chinese academic Di Dongsheng about a looming high seas struggle between China and the US have been met with a mix of alarmism and dismissiveness.
However, the facts on the ground suggest that Di is onto something – he has been highlighting China's dependence on sea bound trade for decades.
In 2019, nearly 90% of China's imports and exports passed through critical chokepoints like the Strait of Malacca, the Suez Canal, or the Panama Canal.