MARITIME SECURITY IN THE INDO-PACIFIC REGION IN THE FIRST TWO DECADES OF THE 21st CENTURY AND SOME POLICY IMPLICATIONS FOR VIETNAM

Maritime security has been in recent times emerged as a burning issue in international relations in general and in the Indo-Pacific region in particular. The Indo-Pacific is located on the coasts of the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean and the waters connecting these two oceans, including countries in Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia and many countries in the Middle East and Africa. With topographical tectonics, this area includes numerous “choke points” on the maritime routes that have strategically significance for the development of international trade, playing an important role in oil transportation, gas and world goods from the Middle East to Australia and East Asia. Therefore, maritime security issues for the lifeblood of the world economy is particularly concerned by the countries in the Indo-Pacific region, including Vietnam. Through analyzing the reality of maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region in the first twenty years of the 21st century, this article gives some policy implications for Vietnam in the coming years.