Papers in Australian Maritime Affairs: The Strategic Importance of Seaborne Trade and Shipping

Abstract

This volume is the proceedings of the 13th conference of the International SLOC Group, held in Canberra in 2001, conducted with the support of the Centre for Maritime Policy, University of Wollongong and the RAN.

The Asia-Pacific region has become the fastest growing and most dynamic sector of the global economy, with increasing dependence on seaborne trade. As a consequence, sea lines of communication (SLOC) security, which is the bedrock of Asian economic growth, becomes a global concern. While the countries of North Asia are the economic powerhouse of Asia, the Southeast Asian sea-lanes through which their trade passes -especially the choke points - become critical to any consideration of SLOC security, as does the role of navies in their protection.