As a critical maritime chokepoint through which nearly one fourth of the world’s seaborne trade passes, the Strait of Malacca holds immense strategic value—particularly amid intensifying competition among regional and global powers. This brief explores the evolving geopolitical significance of the Strait of Malacca in the context of its role in balancing power in the Indo-Pacific region. It also analyzes the vulnerabilities of the global supply chain, the growing Chinese assertiveness through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), US presence and India's rise as a strategic power in the Indo-Pacific region and the strategic dilemma posed by the strait’s narrowness and susceptibility to disruption.

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