Topic: Malacca Strait

The United States and Indonesia are building a new $3.5 million maritime training center at the Malacca Strait to counter Chinese influence. The hosts connect this geopolitical tension to the recent negative COVID-19 reporting coming out of Indonesia.

Liz MacKean, the BBC reporter who exposed the Jimmy Savile pedophilia scandal, has died at age 52. Meanwhile, the USS John S. McCain collided with an oil tanker near Singapore, leaving ten sailors missing. This marks the second major collision involving a U.S. Navy destroyer in two months, leading to the dismissal of the commander of the 7th Fleet and a worldwide pause in Navy operations.

Journalist John Pilger warns of a massive U.S. military buildup surrounding China, including 400 bases and naval blockades. He argues that the "Pivot to Asia" policy is a provocation that risks major conflict, specifically citing military exercises designed to choke off China's oil supply.

China is leading a proposal to construct the Kra Canal (or Thai Canal) across southern Thailand to bypass the congested Straits of Malacca. The $28 billion project would save shipping vessels three days of travel time and secure a vital oil route for China. While the canal offers significant economic benefits, it faces domestic opposition in Thailand over concerns of national division.

A review of the world's eight primary oil "choke points" highlights the Strait of Hormuz and the Strait of Malacca as the most critical for global energy transit. The conflict in Yemen has placed renewed focus on the Gulf of Aden, where international navies monitor the passage of millions of barrels of oil daily.

The US Army is executing a new concept called "Pacific Pathways," part of the broader "Asia Pivot" strategy to increase military readiness in the region. This involves live military exercises in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Japan, as well as the stationing of 2,500 Marines in Darwin, Australia. The strategy also includes the dramatic shift of selling lethal arms to Vietnam to counter Chinese influence in the South China Sea.

John Kerry recently asserted that NATO territory is "inviolable," despite Ukraine not being a member of the alliance. This rhetoric is viewed as an attempt to psychologically link Ukraine to NATO in the public mind. Meanwhile, the U.S. "pivot to Asia" continues with the establishment of new military bases in the Philippines to monitor the Strait of Malacca and contain Chinese maritime expansion.

Questions arise regarding Indonesia's silence and the failure of Australia's Jindalee over-the-horizon radar to detect MH370. The hosts speculate that regional sensitivities or equipment failure may be preventing full disclosure. Meanwhile, CNN's ratings have doubled due to its non-stop coverage of the disappearance, a strategy overseen by Jeff Zucker.

The hosts propose a theory that the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 is being used to pressure the Malaysian government. They highlight the strategic importance of the Malacca Strait, through which 40% of world trade passes. They note that the US 7th Fleet and destroyers like the USS Kidd were immediately deployed to the area, suggesting a move to control the shipping lane.