Asian Energy Security Conference

A follow-up conference of the “International Cooperation in the War against Terror
in the Asia-Pacific Region with a Special Emphasis on the Malacca Strait” Workshop

Organized by: Center for International Security and Strategic Studies, Mississippi State University

In Cooperation with Center for U.S.-Japan Studies and Cooperation, Institute for Public Policy Studies, Vanderbilt University and Okazaki Institute, Japan

Vice President for Research and Economic Development, Mississippi State University

Executive Summary

The Asia-Pacific is one of the most economically dynamic regions in the world and is the driver for global economic growth and development, which is based predominantly on seaborne trade. India, China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan are the main engines of economic growth in Asia; however, they have to rely to a great extent on seaborne energy imports, coming mainly from the Middle East. The shipping route from the Persian Gulf to Asia must first pass through the Strait of Malacca before it enters the South China Sea, where it branches out northwards to East Asia and the West Coast of the U.S., southwards to Singapore and Australia. Therefore, it is an important national security issue, for both Asian countries and the United States, that the energy flow from the Indian Ocean, through the Malacca Strait, to the South China Sea not be disrupted.

The central theme of the conference is to examine the maritime security implications of Asia’s energy demand. As the majority of Asia’s energy supplies are imported, the maritime transportation industry is a significant factor in the supply of global energy. The viability of the shipping industry, the vulnerability of specific types of ships to attack, port security issues, and the economic consequences of disruptions to the energy supply chain will be examined in order to provide a risk assessment for policy makers. As the security of energy flow against attack or disruption varies, according to the physical geography and the geo-political strategic environment of specific shipping routes, the potential vulnerabilities of shipping along these routes will be examined. Having identified the varied range of vulnerabilities affecting energy flows, various mechanisms will be proposed, in order to improve both maritime transportation security and resolve the problematic maritime geography that has competing claims over national sovereignty.

The Conference will deal also with sea-lane and ocean security on both sides of the strait, meaning: A) from the oil- and gas-rich Persian Gulf to the Andaman Sea at the western entrance to the strait, B) from the South China Sea, at the eastern entrance to the strait to Northeast Asia. This route is, and will remain a strategic trade and energy artery for Japan, the U.S., Australia, and China. India will be included, given its close ties with the U.S., the growing Japanese security and economic interest in India, and India’s own struggle with Islamist terrorism The organizers of the Conference, the Center for International Security and Strategic Studies, Mississippi State University (CISS), its partners, the Center for U.S.-Japan Studies and Cooperation (CJSC) at Vanderbilt University, and Tokyo-based Okazaki Institute (OI) are planning a two-day Conference to be held on October 1-2, 2007, in Jackson, MS. At the conclusion, we will compile a final report on the findings and recommendations of the Conference’s Multidisciplinary Study Group. The complete material of the conference will be disseminated to interested parties and Government agencies, NGOs and academia, and it will be incorporated into the CISS, CJSC and OI homepages on the Internet.

Session 2: Transportation Security and Shipping Routes

This session will examine transportation issues (shipping and ports) that are vital to seaborne energy imports, and what energy security concerns mean for the tanker market (size and numbers). This session will also cover the impact of a bioterrorist attack on shipping and potential remedial measures. This session also will examine the vulnerabilities and threats to shipping along each specific route. This will include attacks by state and non-state actors (piracy or terrorism), geo-political issues in the future that might threaten supplies, as well as geographic issues (chokepoints) that are vulnerable to attack.

Co-Chairs:
Admiral Thomas B. Fargo (Retired), Former Commander of the U.S. Pacific Command
Vice Admiral Eduardo Ma R Santos (Retired), President, Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific (MAAP), Philippines