Wong issues Indian Ocean conflict warning

"The most serious scenario we must confront is the risk of strategic competition escalating into conflict." While the Pacific Ocean is seen as the most likely source of flash points, whether it be direct competition between the US and China, the Taiwan Strait, territorial disputes in the South China Sea and East China Sea or the Korean peninsula, Senator Wong sought through her speech to elevate the importance of the Indian Ocean along Australia's western shores. She cited the Malacca Strait, with "its critical connection to the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal", as a potential flashpoint. "The fact is…