Strategic Importance
The Cocos Islands are geostrategically important because of their proximity to Indian Ocean and South China Sea shipping lanes. The United States Armed Forces have planned to construct airbases on the Cocos Islands, capable of supporting drone-based espionage and surveillance over the South China Sea. Euronews described the plan as providing Australian support for increased American presence in Southeast Asia, but likely to upset Chinese officials. James Cogan has written for the World Socialist Web Site that airbase construction at Cocos is one component of Obama's "pivot" towards Asia, facilitating control the sea lanes between the Indian and Pacific Oceans and potentially allowing US forces to enforce a blockade against China. After plans to construct airbases were leaked to the Washington Post, Australian defense minister Stephen Smith stated that the Australian government views "Cocos as being potentially a long-term strategic location, but that is down the track."
Read more about this topic: Cocos (Keeling) Islands
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