For Asian states to grow and prosper, American strategists believe, they must enjoy unhindered access to the Pacific and Indian Oceans (along with connecting waterways such as the Straits of Malacca and the South China Sea) in order to import essential raw materials (especially oil) and export manufactured goods. As Burns explained in November, “Asia’s rise has been so dramatic that it is not just remaking Asia’s cities and economies — it is redrawing the geostrategic map. To give one example, half the world’s merchant tonnage now passes through the South China Sea.”