Why is China digging Pacific ? – Free PDF Download -

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The Pacific Oceanis the largest and deepest of Earth’s five oceans 165,250,000 square km

From lush green steppes to the seabed of the Pacific Ocean, Chinese exploration companies are digging everywhere for the mineral prospectors and big deposit of natural resources.

Despite the recent fall through of plans for deep-sea mapping and mineral exploration—the hunt for the next big reserve of rare metals and natural resources is speeding up.
And China has realised the vulnerability of supply chains.

RECENT FALL THROUGH

China’s Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi was on a marathon tour across the Pacific Islands

His visit was a sign of Beijing’s willingness of trade and security deal with 10 countries in the region.
The deal failed after many of the countries declined to sign, expressing concerns over certain aspects of the agreement.
“The proposed cooperation on regional policing suggests Beijing is interested in pursuing and creating regional security architecture. It’s unclear how it would align and complement the existing security architecture & cyber security [also] raising national security concerns,”

:- Anna Powles (Senior lecturer at the Centre for Defence and Security Studies at Massey University)

“If the deal had been signed, it would have led to cooperation that would start to really complicate the existing relations in the region [especially those with] Australia and New Zealand.“

:- Mihai Sora ( Analyst at the Lowy Institute)

Some nations reacted angrily to the deal
“The offer was disingenuous and would ensure Chinese influence in government [and] economic control of key industries.”

:- President of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM)

“It is clear from the statements of Fiji, Samoa and Niue, as well as FSM and Palau, that there were strong concerns about the lack of consensus around the deal.“

:- Dr. Anna Powles

1) RESOURCES

In 2019, China discovered 12 billion tonnes of geological reserves of oil, out of which 160 million tonnes could be recovered with current exploration technology.
That same year, it discovered 42 billion cubic meters of shale gas, from which 183.84 billion cubic metres offered exploration potential.
According to the American Enterprise Institute, Chinese companies have invested $2 billion in Pacific mineral exploration over the past two decades.

2) DECADE OLD DEALS

In 2001, China Ocean Mineral Resources Research and Development Association (COMRA) signed an exclusive contract with the International Sea Authority (ISA)—a Jamaica-based United Nations intergovernmental body that approves contracts for undersea mineral exploration—to explore the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone in the northeast Pacific.

It also later signed new contracts with ISA in 2011 and 2014 to explore polymetallic sulphides and cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts.

3) IMPORTANT TRADE ROUTE

“China’s mineral, timber, fossil fuel, food and other imports from Pacific Island nations are staggering. They’re creating enormous challenges for sustainable development in the region,”

:- Bill Laurance (James Cook University)

4) STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE

21st Century “Maritime Silk Road” is part of Beijing’s vision to develop a natural resource supply chain in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. China has mobilised state and private sector entities to extend its strategic goals.

5) Subliminal Pawns

In India’s immediate neighbourhood, Myanmar, China has extensive mining exploration operations where China North Industries Corporation is working with the local junta on the Letpadaung copper mine.
The mining project has also been criticised for destroying the environment in the region.
But these efforts to find new mineral deposits are unfolding on the mainland as well

In 2015, Chen Lianzeng, deputy director of China’s State Oceanic Administration, pitched to the Narendra Modi government the idea of exploring the Indian Ocean for its rich seabed deposits.

The project fell through the cracks over the Belt and Road Initiative strained India and China’s bilateral relationship.
Still At least until 2017, Jialong, China’s manned submersible probe, was seen conducting exploratory missions in the northwestern Indian Ocean
After failing to progress in deep-sea exploration in the Indian Ocean, China’s mining operations have gone ahead with full steam in the Pacific region
A news article about “Dayang No. 1” ship returning from exploration in the Pacific said, “the rich resource and environmental data and physical samples obtained from this voyage are of great significance to my country’s scientific development and utilisation of seabed resources to enhance our country’s strategic resource support capabilities.”

China has had to rely on Kazakhstan, Canada, and Australia to supply uranium.
But Beijing knows that it needs to secure uranium supply for its long-term strategic roles.

China’s nuclear authority has announced about the discovery of “industrial-grade deposits of Uranium” increasing China’s estimated reserve by 10-fold.
The finding puts China’s Uranium reserves at par with Australia, according to the announcement.

The uranium stockpile is crucial for China’s growing energy needs as well as the nuclear weapons programme

The nuclear authority’s research team used a new technique to extend the exploration depth to 3,000 meters, six times deeper than most of the country’s uranium mines.

“It certainly signals that Chinese diplomatic efforts at the regional level have been unsuccessful but we can expect China to double down on its bilateral relationships now,” Dr Powles says
“I think it’s a fair indication that China over-reached in what it was asking of Pacific countries. [But] China’s long-term ambitions to establish a security presence in the Pacific will remain.“

:- Mr. Sora