Chapter 572: Curbing the Malacca Strait

The seaplane landed smoothly on the surface of the Johor Strait, sending out rings of fine ripples; as the shuttle boat eased to the shore, Jiang Anguo's feet finally set foot on Singapore's land.

The solid cement beneath his feet dispelled the fatigue and unease of his flight, and the lingering anxiety in his heart steadied considerably.

In the sky not far away, William's two P‑38 Lightning squadrons were forming orderly and slowly descending onto Singapore's airport.

As is the usual practice of Jiang Anguo's forces, the st Division's primary task in seizing any strategic point is to control the airport.

Zhou Haitong's Marine Corps was no exception; after entering Singapore's city, a contingent of soldiers rushed at full speed to the airport, swiftly completing its capture, while at the same time, large numbers of conscripted Singaporean Chinese, bearing tools and materials, threw themselves fervently into the airport's repair work, the place bustling with voices and activity.

In modern warfare, fighters and bombers give such a huge advantage to ground forces that the first priority after occupying Singapore is to secure the airport.

Otherwise, William's two P‑38 squadrons would still have to fly back to the air base on the Andaman Islands.

Jiang Anguo stood on the shore, facing the slightly salty sea breeze, gazing far out as his eyes swept over Singapore's streets and coastline, his heart full of emotion.

Standing at this historical crossroads, physically on this land, he finally truly understood Singapore's uniquely advantageous geography.

This advantage was far more striking and far‑reaching than what he had seen on the map at the Yangon command post.

Until now, he only knew that Singapore guarded the throat of the Malajia haixia, serving as the maritime gateway for Southeast Asian nations to Europe and Africa and controlling the merchant shipping between East and West, but he had never imagined the land's geographic endowment could be so superior.

Singapore lies at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, precisely at the southeastern entrance to the Malajia haixia.

To the north it is separated from Malaysia by the Johor Strait, and to the south it faces Indonesia across the Singapore Strait.

It consists of the main Singapore Island and 63 surrounding islets; the main island makes up 88.5% of the nation's area, its terrain low and flat, with a 193‑kilometre coastline, and its uniquely advantageous sea‑land position makes it a core hub linking the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean, worthy of the title "throat of the two oceans."

It should be noted that the Malajia haixia is one of the world's busiest sea lanes, with nearly half of global maritime traffic and about 70% of Asia's oil imports passing through each year.

Singapore, however, is the most critical node on this golden route, guarding the lifeline of East‑West trade; any vessel wishing to move from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean or vice versa must pass through Singapore, making its geopolitical strategic value irreplaceable.

What further amazed Jiang Anguo was Singapore's natural deep‑water port advantage.

Compared with Yangon's relatively shallow harbor, where large battleships easily run aground, Singapore's port is a natural good harbor, with spacious waters rarely affected by storms, a jurisdictional water area of 5.38 million square metres and ample depth.

The port's water depth averages 22 metres.

Large vessels with a draft of about 13 metres can enter and berth smoothly; even a heavy battleship like the Zhenhai could dock without fear of grounding—exactly the port condition Jiang Anguo urgently needs now.

It should be noted that his Nankai Fleet had just endured two fierce battles, its ammunition depleted, and it urgently needed a safe, convenient deep‑water port for resupply and rest.

And Singapore's natural harbor conditions perfectly solved this problem, making him silently grateful that his decision to come to Singapore in person was so correct.

Even more valuable is that the British, having colonized Singapore for many years, left behind comprehensive shipping facilities, further amplifying its geographic advantage.

Since the British arrived in Singapore in 1819, they keenly recognized the island's shipping potential and established a trade foothold here.

Over the following hundred years, they successively built complete piers, warehouses, dry docks and other facilities; among them, the Keppel Shipyard and the Sembawang Shipyard became the backbone of Singapore's shipping industry, and despite wartime damage, the core facilities remained intact and could be put back into service with minor repairs.

Today, Singapore Port has over 200 routes, linking more than 600 ports worldwide, making it a major transshipment and fuel supply hub; its loading and unloading equipment is comprehensive and its dispatch system mature, far more advanced and complete than Yangon's port facilities.

This means the Nankai Fleet can not only resupply safely here, but also use Singapore as a base in the future to radiate across Southeast Asia's sea lanes and seize maritime initiative.

From a broader geopolitical perspective, Singapore's location holds an absolute advantage.

It is not only the throat of the Malajia haixia, but also a bridge linking Southeast Asia's interior with the outside world; to the north it reaches the Malay Peninsula, further connecting Myanmar, Thailand and other Southeast Asian nations.

To the south it leads directly to Indonesia, controlling the maritime routes of the Southeast Asian archipelago.

Westward, through the Malajia haixia, one can reach India, Sri Lanka and other Indian Ocean coastal nations, then onward to Europe and Africa; eastward it connects to the Philippines and the South China Sea, reaching the far side of the Pacific Ocean.

This four‑way connectivity makes Singapore the geographic centre of Southeast Asia; whether for attacking Thailand, consolidating control of the Malay Peninsula, or further expanding influence, Singapore can serve as the most solid strategic base.

The most reassuring and confidence‑giving factor for Jiang Anguo, besides the unique geographic and port advantages, is Singapore's Chinese population proportion.

As a city of 800,000 people, Chinese make up 70%; these generations have lived here, deeply rooted in Nanyang, not only familiar with local terrain and customs but also possessing a strong patriotic sentiment.

During the South China Army's earlier assault on Singapore, it was these Chinese who stepped forward as guides and combatants, becoming the army's strongest backing.

Jiang Anguo's greatest worry in invading Southeast Asia was the population issue, or rather the composition of the populace.

Whether in Myanmar or Thailand, there are too many locals and too few Chinese.

When the Chinese proportion is low, unrest erupts.

But Singapore is different; the Chinese are numerous, and because of the war, even after Xia Shan Feng Wen's massacre, Singapore's population still reached one million.

Because Chinese from the Malay Peninsula fled southward with the Japanese Army and escaped to Singapore.

Now, with the support of these Chinese.

Jiang Anguo can not only swiftly stabilize Singapore's situation, but also rely on Chinese strength to integrate local resources, making Singapore truly the South China core foothold in Southeast Asia, laying a solid foundation for the subsequent plans to unify Myanmar, Thailand and the Malay Peninsula.

Jiang Anguo slowly closed his eyes, feeling the sea breeze, his heart growing ever more resolute.

He finally understood that Singapore's advantage is far more than merely guarding the Malajia haixia; it is a natural deep‑water harbor, a complete shipping hub, a four‑way geopolitical centre, and a land with deep Chinese roots.

This land will become a vital support for South China's rise, a key springboard for his strategic ambitions; standing here, he seemed to already envision the South China forces sweeping across Southeast Asia and unifying the interior in grand spectacle.