Maritime Security Challenges Span Atlantic, Indo-Pacific

The Atlantic Council seminar is part of the Indo-Pacific Security Initiative’s “Cross-Strait and Beyond” series and is being held in partnership with the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States. The initiative focuses on China’s growing challenge to the regional order and North Korea’s nuclear advances.

Britain’s dependence on Atlantic shipping is extensive: nearly all of its trade, energy, food, raw materials and exports move through maritime routes. First Sea Lord Gwyn Jenkins described this as a “dangerous paradox,” arguing that the Atlantic is increasingly vital even as it becomes less visible in the public consciousness.

Vietnam’s shipowners warned that failure to meet international emissions requirements could lead to ships being denied entry to foreign ports or fined. The country has already implemented the International Maritime Organization’s carbon-intensity index, which assesses vessels according to emissions relative to distance traveled.

The expansion of maritime activity has also delivered major economic benefits: with roughly 80% to 90% of global goods traded by sea, the growth of shipping and related industries has helped lift people out of poverty in the Global South and elsewhere, according to Professor Edmunds.