Now this is a serious chess move and Trump just put China in a vice grip. The US was already on good terms with Indonesia but this basically gives us control over the Strait with their cooperation and allows us to run all kinds of military operations there. China is completely screwed without access to Malacca even more than Hormuz, it's their most important access point. Trump is meeting with Xi in a few weeks and he is walking in to that meeting with Xi's balls in a jar.

Don't expect the MSM to cover this much and if they do they will underplay it but this is a huge deal. Trump has been going chokepoint by chokepoint that impacts China but having Malacca under this level of control for the US and to do it with the full blessing and cooperation of Indonesia has to terrify them. It also shows further how Trump has managed to work with Muslim countries that could easily be adversaries by appealing to their interests but not sacrificing ours. At a bare minimum it shows that the Iran situation isn't impacting us in alliances of real strategic importance, this is far more important than Ukraine from a US strategic perspective and it isn't really close. China is essentially at our mercy.

23.2 million barrels of oil per day flow through the Strait of Malacca.

80% of China's crude oil imports pass through it.

The US just locked down a Major Defense Cooperation Partnership with the country that controls its southern shoreline.

Hegseth hosted Indonesia's Defense… https://t.co/k5jIn5zPUk pic.twitter.com/ixVSNpFWdE

— Armaan Sidhu (@realarmaansidhu) April 14, 2026

I have a little personal insight on this. This is an amazing move by the Trump administration and many years in the making.

Anyone else starting to see the planning here? The dominos are falling globally all to the benefit of the US and those that stand with us. None of this is not by design.

We are positioning ourselves globally for economic and security dominance. We are nurturing relationships with nations that will be more valuable in the future than so many of our aging alliances that offer us little and less. Which may, hopefully, force them to offer more. America's future is much more tied to Asia and Latin American than the old world. They offer of us little and expect everything.

Simpletons rage while Trump continues to squeeze our international foes by putting them in a box.

He's the most serious foreign policy president we've had in decades, whether you agree with his moves or not.

since Reagan

Bush 41 wasn't bad at all either (although was not a fan overall).

We've been asleep at the wheel since.

Remember when people were screaming about indiscriminate tariffs? This is the kind of deal you get from economic leverage. The art of the deal.

Trump's foreign policy has been nothing short of masterful because he actually has the balls to put others, even allies, in uncomfortable positions so that they have a vested interest in operating in a manner that advances our interests. It shows what the U.S. is actually capable of when we have leaders that are willing to wield our power, not operate as a charity or "democracy" missionary.

Ellis Wyatt said:

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Simpletons rage while Trump continues to squeeze our international foes by putting them in a box.

He's the most serious foreign policy president we've had in decades, whether you agree with his moves or not.

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This is a fact. The simpletons lose their minds over stupid ***t while Trump has been reshuffling the world order with America on top.

It is amazing that everything Israel is "tricking Trump into doing" seems to put China at a big disadvantage while benefiting American interests. Really makes you think…that the antisemite wing is a bunch of idiots.

Simpletons lose their minds over a post on SM

People who actually understand what's really going on see the huge wins that are happening.

Kicking China out of the Western Hemisphere, choking off their oil from VZ and Iran. Total military control of Greenland as a shield for North America and control of the Arctic. And now Military Control over their main oil artery.

China is being contained.

If the MSM does cover it they'll make it sound like we're starting WW3.

ts5641 said:

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If the MSM does cover it they'll make it sound like we're starting WW3.

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Of course they will.

They'll pretend this is brand new and unprecedented in the world of foreign policy.

They'll pretend that we didn't spend 70 years in a Cold War with Russia doing insane things to try and check each others power and expansion all with the specter of nuclear war hanging over us.

And they'll get away with it because our people have been indoctrinated to be ignorants who believe whatever Dem propaganda tells them.

GenericAggie said:

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I think for those paying attention, the strategy is overt and obvious. The Chinese have to be pissed off.

The one continent that we have failed miserably over the last 30 years is Africa. China is dominating and it's going to cause massive issues in 25 years.

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China isn't the society to make Africa actually something. Too far away and too many of its own problems. The house of cards will fall eventually. Just like the USSR.

Hubert J. Farnsworth said:

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Ellis Wyatt said:

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Simpletons rage while Trump continues to squeeze our international foes by putting them in a box.

He's the most serious foreign policy president we've had in decades, whether you agree with his moves or not.

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This is a fact. The simpletons lose their minds over stupid ***t while Trump has been reshuffling the world order with America on top.

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Most of what they lose their mind over is propaganda being amplified by foreign accounts/actors from places like russia and china.

They're just too stupid to realize that.

Quote:

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Alternative Routes Disadvantages:

• Sunda Strait: Too shallow for the largest tankers.
• Lombok Strait: Significantly longer detour, often requiring an extra 12 weeks for shipping

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why wouldn't ships simply bypass the strait of malacca if it was blocked

YESS!!



also the Singapore Government literally stated they will not allow Iran to control the Straits of Hormuz because then the Straits of Mallaca could be closed to Singapore someday

Oklahomaagg said:

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China can go around Indonesia and through other straits in the Archiipelago. It will add time but not significantly.
Moreover, having defense ties with us doesn't preclude Indonesia from letting China go through Malacca correct? And I'm sure there are a large number of international treaties as well. So this is well and good but not exactly having Xi's balls in a jar.

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This alone doesn't put his balls in a jar but this isn't the only thing we've done that directly impacts Chinas global standing in general and their access to oil specifically. Everything we've seen since January 1 has had a significant negative impact on them. Removing Maduro cut off a significant source of oil and eventual regime change in Iran will do the same for an even bigger source. Changing their access to the busiest strait in their own backyard is just the latest move in this effort to rein them in.

These moves are reminding China who runs the world and reminding them that it's in their best interest to stay in their lane and do things the way we want them done. This year is a "don't **** with a good thing" and a "leave Taiwan alone" statement. A bunch of us have said for years there will be no kinetic war with China because we'll blockade their oil and food shipments which will end their ability to fight. This specific move increases our ability to do just that.

Gigem_94 said:

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Although strategic, shipping can just go around. There is no alternative in the strait of Hormuz.

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They'd have to go around Australia, get out to the Pacific, and somehow manage to get through the Philippines-Taiwan-Japan island chain. Good luck with that.

All of these big moves are mostly about China. We are starting to fight a Cold War the way it should be fought strategically. There is no sense in building up power if you aren't going to project that power for your benefit.

Some people still beating the Israel drums are to into their social media follows. Less time on social media and more time reading some political history books about how the last Cold War against communists was fought and won will create some better perspectives.

After world war 2 isolationism is as much a fantasy as the utopian one world kumbayah movement.

But with great power comes great responsibility. The American electorate has to get smarter and more devoted to voting for people that both put American interests first and have a responsible vision for America projecting power wisely across the world. Not as a bully, but also not as a door mat or philanthropist. Leave the philanthropy to individuals. Empower countries to handle most of their own business and enter the fray when it serves American interests.

This move seems to achieve those aims.

GenericAggie said:

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I think for those paying attention, the strategy is overt and obvious. The Chinese have to be pissed off.

The one continent that we have failed miserably over the last 30 years is Africa. China is dominating and it's going to cause massive issues in 25 years.

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China is also learning that Africa is a freaking mess and you can't fix it. You might be able to extract natural resources out of it for a while but eventually it all goes to hell unless you fully colonize it and the Chinese aren't capable of that. Eventually it all goes to hell for one of a variety of reasons.

WOW. Did not see this one coming. I think people who just scoff at this one need to read up more on this Strait. It's an extremely critical route in that part of the world and you can't just ho hum easily sail around it and be fine. All kinds of trade offs.

This is pretty massive.