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Abstract As the key nodes of global oceans, international straits are not only the places for China to break through the island chain blockade, but also they are the pivotal channels that affect the smoothness of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. The regimes of international straits have been stipulated by the relevant provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. First, the passage systems for special straits with long-standing international conventions are retained. For example, the system of Turkish Straits is stipulated by the 1936 Montreux Convention, the regime of the Strait of Magellan is stated clearly by the Boundary Treaty of 1881 between Chile and Argentina, and the manner of passing through Danish Straits is announced by the Copenhagen Treaty of 1857. Second, ships and aircraft of foreign countries can exercise the freedom of navigation and overflight to go through the routes of exclusive economic zones and high seas of straits used for international navigation such as Soya Strait, Tsugaru Strait, Miyako Strait and Bashi Channel. Third, these ships and aircraft can apply the regime of transit passage to pass through the territorial seas of territorial straits used for international navigation like Tokara Strait, Strait of Malacca, Bab al-Mandab Strait and Strait of Dover. Fourth, in Messina-exception straits and dead-end-exception straits, the ships and aircraft have the right to apply the innocent passage system that should not be suspended, including the Strait of Messina, Kalmar Sund, Strait of Tiran and Head Harbour Passage. Therefore, the rights of passage enjoyed by the ships and aircraft in the relevant areas of the straits rely on the rules of international law while they do not depend upon the bounty of the States bordering the straits and the goodwill of other maritime powers. China’s ships and aircraft have the legal rights to apply the above-mentioned 4 types of traffic regimes of international straits to connect the world through the seas and oceans. At the same time, the international community should strengthen cooperation to ensure the smoothness of passing in the straits, promote the development of maritime transport, enhance human welfare and jointly build a maritime community with a shared future.
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