Country

China

China's core is two great river plains (Yellow, Yangtze) walled in by the Tibetan Plateau, the Gobi, and jungle — historically safe by land, exposed by sea. Nearly all its trade and energy sails through chokepoints it does not control, above all the Strait of Malacca; the island chains offshore box in its navy. Belt-and-Road, the South China Sea build-up, and pressure on Taiwan are all attempts to escape that maritime squeeze.

32.5°N · 106.3°E