A Narrow Pacific Waterway is at the Heart of U.S. Plans to Choke China’s Vast Navy +

Reuters reprint: A Narrow Pacific Waterway is at the Heart of U.S. Plans to Choke China’s Vast Navy

Until recently, locals say, this smallest and least populous province of the Philippines was a peaceful backwater. But geography dictates that it is now on the frontline of the great power competition between the United States and China for dominance in the Asia-Pacific region. The islands sit on the southern edge of the Bashi Channel, a major shipping lane between the Philippines and Taiwan that connects the South China Sea with the Western Pacific.

This year’s exercises revealed how the U.S. and its Philippine ally intend to use ground-based anti-ship missiles as part of efforts to deny the Chinese navy access to the Western Pacific by making this waterway impassable in a conflict, Reuters reporting shows. These missiles could also be used to attack a Chinese fleet attempting to invade Taiwan or mount a blockade against the democratically governed island.

…

Recent Chinese maneuvers show how access to the Bashi Channel is critical for Beijing’s plans in the Pacific. In June, a powerful Chinese navy aircraft carrier battle group used this passage to enter the Western Pacific before launching an extended series of exercises south of Japan, according to Japanese military tracking data.

Related:

Modern War Institute (West Point): A War of Chokepoints: Mavulis Island in a Future Taiwan War Scenario

To the south, a little less than 250 miles away, lies Mavulis Island. Slightly smaller than Yonaguni Island, it shares many of the same characteristics. Just as Yonaguni Island is the westernmost piece of Japanese territory, Mavulis Island is the Philippines’ northernmost point. Similarly close to Taiwan, it likewise has a strategic importance disproportionate to its size. Mavulis Island may appear to be a seemingly insignificant speck on the vast blue map of the region, but it may be the linchpin of the defense of Taiwan. What is more, the Bashi Channel that lies between Mavulis Island and Taiwan’s Orchid Island will likely be utilized as a primary route for the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) to blockade the island and isolate it from US and allied forces. In short, Mavulis Island could be a key terrain in any Taiwan conflict scenario.

And yet, compared to Japanese action on Yonaguni Island, the Philippines has not given Mavulis Island similar treatment. This is a missed opportunity to strengthen deterrence against China in the region and, in the event of a conflict, counter any Chinese aggression against Taiwan. It is in the United States’ interests to encourage Manila to take advantage of the island’s strategic importance.

While narrow, the Bashi Channel serves as a critical conduit between the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea. As a chokepoint, its strategic position influences the operational capabilities of major naval forces of the United States and its allies. Pundits postulate that chokepoints such as the Bashi Channel could dictate the outcome of a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan because of its ability to control access into the Pacific Ocean. The Bashi Channel’s importance is further magnified by its relevance to submarine warfare as the deep waters of the channel provide an ideal environment for the PLAN’s operations. China would likely utilize these waters for concealment and to strategically position the PLAN to achieve Beijing’s overall military objectives. The Bashi Channel, therefore, should influence broader maritime strategy against a potential Taiwan invasion.

Americans For A Stronger Navy: The Bashi Channel: The 90-Mile Gap That Could Decide a War

The Bashi Channel is one of only two deep-water exits from China’s coastal seas into the open Pacific (the other is the Miyako Strait near Okinawa). Control Bashi and you can bottle up much of the PLAN inside the First Island Chain. Lose it and Beijing gains a southern flank on Taiwan and room to maneuver against U.S. and allied forces.

Logistics Decide Outcomes
Just north of the Channel sits Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s largest port and logistical heart. Fuel, bulk cargo, spare parts, and food flow through it. Any attacker would try to seize Kaohsiung and secure sea lanes through Bashi; any defender would fight to keep those routes open. No fuel, no fight.

The Philippines Is Now the Front Line
Across the Channel, the Batanes island group (fewer than 20,000 residents) has become a literal gate across the southern mouth of Bashi. U.S. and Philippine forces are training there to practice sea denial—airlifting in mobile, ground-based anti-ship systems like NMESIS (Naval Strike Missile, >300 km range) and integrating longer-range fires such as the U.S. Army’s Typhon launcher. The idea is simple: make the Channel too dangerous for hostile warships to enter.

…

The Hidden Front: Undersea Cables
Nearly all trans-Pacific data—finance, commerce, command-and-control—moves via undersea cables, and a heavy share of those routes choke near the Bashi Channel. In a crisis, cable cuts can delay response, blind decision-makers, and sow confusion long before the first headline. Protecting, monitoring, and rapidly repairing these cables is now part of credible deterrence.