28th Parliamentary Intelligence -Security Forum – US-China Strategic Competition: Implications for the Indo-Pacific

Mr. Carl Delfeld began his presentation by referring to the Western Pacific region as the “silk curtain.” Its expanse reaches from the Sea of Japan to the Strait of Malacca, where a lot of shipping, trade, capital, and tourism flow. He described the region as flexible, permeable, and flammable due to the multiple claims of dominion over the very contested body of water. China has emerged as a maritime and manufacturing giant that aggressively asserted its influence using subterfuge and force.

To counter this, like-minded democratic states must cooperate and collaborate in reducing the gap that China has affected specifically in the critical minerals and shipbuilding sectors. Mr. Delfeld emphasized that national security is directly connected to economic security. The integrity of the supply chains for the manufacture of defense goods and technology must be protected. China can be deterred by fortifying the coalition’s economic advantage and upholding the rule-based, rights-based status quo. Short-term strategies must be carefully crafted and implemented while a long-term, more permanent solution is being sought. It is only through the collective efforts of the coalition of like-minded nations that peace can be maintained.