The 2025 U.S. National Security Strategy (NSS) asserts that America must prevent China from establishing “tolls” in the South China Sea to preserve the freedom of navigation.
Half a year later, practically the entire national security establishment is fixated on the issue of maritime “tolls”—those Iran seeks to impose in the Strait of Hormuz.
Washington fears a link between the Persian Gulf and the western Pacific is gaining traction. Speaking in Manila recently, Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned of “a very dangerous precedent which will repeat itself in other parts of the world, including in this region.”
Yet with respect to China, these concerns are wholly misleading. It simply makes no sense that Beijing would be inspired by Tehran’s actions on tolling.
The odd use of the word “toll” in the China context reflects a basic but all too pervasive misunderstanding of Chinese maritime activities in the western Pacific. Yes, Beijing does frequently deploy coast guard and so-called “maritime militia” forces to contest fishing access and hydrocarbon exploration, but these activities are distinct from any hypothetical move to establish tolls on the commercial transit of vessels.
Author
Events on China
