Chinese Naval Strategy in the 21st Century: The Turn to Mahan

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Alfred Thayer Mahan has been called Americax2019;s nineteenth-century x2018;evangelist of sea powerx2019; and the intellectual father of the modern US Navy. His theories have a timeless appeal, and Chinese analysts now routinely invoke Mahanx2019;s writings, exhorting their nation to build a powerful navy. Economics is the prime motivation for maritime reorientation, and securing the sea lanes that convey foreign energy supplies and other commodities now ranks near or at the top of Chinax2019;s list of military priorities. This book is the first systematic effort to test the interplay between Western military thought and Chinese strategic traditions vis-xE0;-vis the nautical arena. It uncovers some universal axioms about how theories of sea power influence the behaviour of great powers and examines how Mahanian thought could shape Chinax2019;s encounters on the high seas. Empirical analysis adds a new dimension to the current debate over Chinax2019;s x2018;risex2019; and its importance for international relations. The findings also clarify the possible implications of Chinax2019;s maritime rise for the United States, and illuminate how the two powers can manage their bilateral interactions on the high seas. Chinese Naval Strategy in the 21st Century will be of much interest to students of naval history, Chinese politics and security studies.