South Korean media: British Diego Garcia Island: A Strategic Asset for Containing China

In the early 16th century, Portuguese sailors searching for a route to India discovered a coral island in the center of the Indian Ocean with an area of about 60% that of Ulleung Island. It is approximately 1,800 kilometers from southern India and was named "Diego Garcia" after a navigator. In the late 18th century, with countries such as Britain bringing laborers from India and Africa to cultivate coconut plantations on the island, it was developed. The island attracted attention because of the Cold War. In the 1960s, as the Soviet army began to move into the Indian Ocean, the US had no bases in the Indian Ocean. With the increasing strategic value of the oil transport routes in the Middle East, the US built a large naval and air base on the island (then under British rule).

¬ This island is isolated by the sea and faces a low risk of attack. The island has a "V" shape, with sufficient depth to accommodate aircraft carriers or submarines, and can also have a runway nearly 4 kilometers long. Large warships can be refueled and repaired here, and large bombers can take off and land. There is a radar station here that connects global US military communications and detects space launch vehicles, making it a "floating aircraft carrier" for the US in the Indian Ocean. During the Gulf War in 1991, B-52 bombers that took off from this island conducted carpet bombing attacks on Iraq, cutting the distance in half compared to taking off from the mainland of the United States. During the Afghanistan War in 2001 and the Iraq War in 2003, B-2 stealth fighters also crossed the Indian Ocean to participate in operations.

¬ Iran fired ballistic missiles toward the Diego Garcia Island, which is 4,000 kilometers away from its territory. Iran originally did not have ballistic missiles with a range exceeding 2,000 kilometers. It is speculated that this time, the missile was launched using a satellite launch rocket with a warhead installed. This means that attacks carried out by bombers and warships based at this facility caused great trouble for Iran. Iranian missiles were intercepted by American Aegis ships docked near the Diego Garcia Island, and the US also set up a tight interception network on this island.

¬ This island has recently become a strategic asset for containing China. Because most of the oil imported by China from the Middle East and Africa must pass through the attack range of this island. The Strait of Hormuz, which is the "lifeline of oil," and the Strait of Malacca in Southeast Asia are within the control range of this island, making it a link between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. The US established the Indo-Pacific Command, with Japan and Guam as bases in the Pacific, and this island as the core base in the Indian Ocean.

¬ Last year, the UK signed an agreement with Mauritius in Africa to decide to return the island. However, the UK stated that it would continue to manage the military base for 99 years. However, the US, as the "actual holder," Trump opposed this process by stating that "returning the island is a foolish decision." The US seems unlikely to give up this island that can control the Middle East, Africa, China, Southeast Asia, and oil transport routes.

Source: Chosun Ilbo

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1860422575130636/

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