The Indian Ocean is the third largest ocean on Earth.  It contains about 20 percent of the water present on the Earth's surface.  There are nine major strategic routes in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), which provide access to other maritime zones.  

The IOR also connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.  The Indian Ocean has an important place in the global maritime trade.  All ships have to transit from here.  The most prominent maritime posts are the Hormuz road connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, the Bab-al-Mandeb road connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, and the Strait of Malacca, which connects the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.  

The length of the Strait of Malacca is 930 km, which connects Malaysia to the north and the Indonesian islands to the south.  The water here is not very deep.  Its texture is broad at the top and narrow at the bottom.  Its width in the south is only 65 km, while towards the north it extends up to 250 km.  It is one of the most important shipping routes connecting the world.  

The 'Maritime Malacca Strait Route' is part of the historic Silk Route, which links Southeast Asia, China, the Indian subcontinent, the Arabian Peninsula, Somalia, Egypt, Central Europe, and the North Sea.  More than 94 thousand ships, including 60 thousand ships, pass through this route every year.  

This region accounts for 60% of global trade.  Maritime trade route Hormuz  The length from the Strait to the Strait of Malacca is more than 5,325 km.  Incidents of piracy and piracy in the sea are becoming increasingly dangerous.  

The Strait of Malacca is one of the narrowest sea lanes in the world.  The then-Chinese President Hu Jintao first described the Malacca Strait in 2003 as the 'Malacca Dilemma'.  China fears that some powers such as the US may use their dominance to block this narrow but important sea route. 

China relies on this route for oil from the Middle East, more energy than Africa, Latin America, Central Asia, and Russia.  Experts estimate that China will be highly dependent on the Middle East for oil and gas for the next thirty to forty years.

To solve the Malacca dilemma, China has started to establish its dominance in the Indian Ocean.  One expression of this has come in the form of the ‘String of Pearls strategy.  Every pearl means that China's navy is permanently present in the area in some way or another.