The maritime strategy of China in the Asia-Pacific region

© 2009 Dr. An-hao HuangThis thesis aims to examine how and why a continental-oriented China has shifted its maritime strategic orientation and naval force structure from its coast toward the far seas in an era of interdependent international system. Generally, China is an ancient continental land power with an incomplete oceanic awareness. With the transformation after the Cold War of China’s grand strategy from landward security to seaward security, maritime security interests have gradually become the most essential part of China’s strategic rationale. Undoubtedly, the quest for sea power and sea rights has become Beijing’s main maritime strategic issue. Given China’s escalating maritime politico-economic-military leverage in the Asia-Pacific region, its desire to become a leading sea power embodying global strategic thinking means that it must expand its maritime strategy by developing its navy and preparing for armed confrontation in terms of international relations realism. Conversely, Beijing’s maritime policy leads at the same time towards globalization, which involves multilateralism and strategic coexistence of a more pragmatic kind. This research analyses Chinese maritime strategy in the Asia-Pacific by asking: ‘Whither the Chinese maritime strategy in the ever changing Asia-Pacific security environment since the PRC was established in 1949?’ In general, contemporary China’s national security strategy is closely connected with its maritime strategy and with its comprehensive security plan for its economy, its energy supplies and its sovereignty. According to China’s view of its security environment, the traditional territorial scramble is changing from control of the land to the control of territorial waters, of maritime strategic resources, and of critical sea lanes. As a result, maritime economic competition has become a key focus for many nations. Given this, it is understandable that China’s maritime expansion from the coast to the high seas is part of its strategic approach. As a consequence, this study asks: ‘In order to shape a Sinocentric maritime security environment for China’s rising sea power, how has Beijing’s approach to maritime strategic expansion shifted from one of military antagonism toward one of strategic coexistence in the region.’ In recent years, Beijing has, purposefully, changed its maritime strategic thinking from Maoist-style coastal defence activities to offshore defence and ultimately a far sea defence. Importantly, this strategic aspiration is clear in China’s recent national defence white papers. According to the 2004 Defence White Paper of China, Beijing clearly acknowledges a shift from China’s traditional land power to a maritime power and its priority apropos the building of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) for winning command of the high sea and for conducting strategic counter-strikes. Meanwhile, according to China’s 2006 Defence White Paper, Beijing clearly states that China’s security concerns energy, resources, finance, information and international shipping routes are mounting. To achieve a comprehensive maritime capacity, the PLAN’s mission is urgent. It is to extend China’s offshore capabilities and to increase its maritime strategic depth. In the recent 2008 Defence White Paper, Beijing emphasizes that struggles for strategic resources, strategic locations, and strategic dominance have intensified. This implies that the PLA has shifted the focus of ground force operations from regional defence toward trans-regional mobility. This infers that the direction of maritime strategy must shift from offshore defence to far sea defence In a few words, maritime strategy is a grand-strategic opportunity, only littoral states are fortunate enough to have. China is one such state. With China’s politico-economic-military use of the sea growing in recent years, the natural expansion of its maritime strategic ambitions and long-range power projection capabilities have generated much concern. Regarding the maritime security dilemma in the Asia-Pacific, undeniably, the crux of the problem is whether an emerging maritime China can play the role of a responsible stakeholder there