Chinese Naval Strategy in the 21st Century (Routledge) 1st Edition

by James R. Holmes (Author)

2 ratings

ISBN-13: 978-0415545341

ISBN-10: 041554534X

Why is ISBN important?

Have one to sell? Sell on Amazon

Added to

Unable to add item to List. Please try again.

Share <Embed>

Buy new

$59.95

In Stock.

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

Note: Available at a lower price from other sellers that may not offer free Prime shipping.

This item ships to Finland. Want it Wednesday, Feb. 19? Order within and choose AmazonGlobal Priority Shipping at checkout. Learn more

12 New from $37.84

+ $7.98 shipping

Deliver to Finland

More Buying Choices

12 New from $37.84 7 Used from $78.36

19 used & new from $37.84

See All Buying Options

Note: Available at a lower price from other sellers that may not offer free Prime shipping.

Alfred Thayer Mahan has been called America’s nineteenth-century ‘evangelist of sea power’ and the intellectual father of the modern US Navy. His theories have a timeless appeal, and Chinese analysts now routinely invoke Mahan’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 China’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-à-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 China’s encounters on the high seas. Empirical analysis adds a new dimension to the current debate over China’s ‘rise’ and its importance for international relations. The findings also clarify the possible implications of China’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.

Product details

Series: Routledge
Paperback: 180 pages
Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (September 21, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 041554534X
ISBN-13: 978-0415545341
Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.4 x 9.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Customer Reviews: 2 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,410,545 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #4960 in Asian History (Books)
- #6227 in Military Strategy History (Books)
- #1721 in Military Sciences

Would you like to tell us about a lower price?
If you are a seller for this product, would you like to suggest updates through seller support?

Be the first video

Your name here

Customer reviews

5 star 0% (0%)		0%
4 star		100%
3 star 0% (0%)		0%
2 star 0% (0%)		0%
1 star 0% (0%)		0%

2 customer reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Shellback

An Introduction into Chinese Maritime Issues

December 26, 2009

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Today China's economy is dependent on trade, which has led it to pursue many of the ideas promoted by Mahan. In the past China's national security focused on internal and land based threats, but as their economy has grown China now recognizes the need of a strong navy. China does not have a strong blue water fleet, but it has begun to modernize its navy. The bulk of China's naval forces are anti-ship missiles and submarines designed to limit the US navy. China's has emphasized the use of land based anti-ship missiles in the belief that the US will not strike deep inside China's mainland because these strikes could escalate any confrontation.

We also learn that the geographic position of Taiwan, Japan and Korea are vital to China's national security. Much in the same way the US limited the colonization of the Latin America during the early part of the 20th century because it could impact its use of the Panama Canal, Taiwan, Japan, and Korean could be used to limit China's access to the sea. The book is a very interesting, but it is rather pricey for a 160 page paperback.

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Unknown

A solid evaluation of critical issues.

December 23, 2012

Format: Paperback

The fact that Chinese naval planners are embracing the doctrine of zero-sum control of the seas is a chilling prospect, and one that anyone interested in current events, global strategy, and geopolitics should give careful consideration to. Holmes & Yoshihara do not underestimate the challenges presented by a Mahanian PLAN, but they are not alarmist about it either. In this well-documented review of Chinese naval philosophy and capabilities, the authors present a sober analysis of China's regional maritime concerns and ambitions as they relate to regional powers (Japan, Korean, Vietnam) and to the world's single major maritime power (and guarantor of international trade, commerce, and regional stability) the United States.

In doing so, the authors are very successful in describing the Chinese interpretation of Mahan's doctrine of sea power, and applying it to the specific regional and geographic concerns of the region. They clearly describe the recent accelerating build-up of the PLAN, particularly in the areas of naval warfare designed to control the littoral within the first island chain and to counter the overwhelming power of U.S. carrier forces. In essence, China is rapidly building the capacity to at least bloody the U.S. in a limited engagement within a contested zone along the Chinese coastline. It may be that they hope to exact a sufficient cost on U.S. forces to force withdrawal, leaving the region under more direct Chinese control, the strategy Japan attempted in 1941.

The authors offer several possible outcomes for Sino-American relations and a number of recommendations that would maximize the chance for a peaceful integration of China into a U.S.-brokered regional peace in Asia, including best- and worst-case scenarios. The analysis is thoughtful and well-characterized.

I would say that a weakness is the book lies in limited attention to the issue of the sustainability of China's economic expansion. The authors make reference to it, but ultimately China is likely to collapse beneath the increasing pressure of substantial toxic debt obligations, the demands of a politically aware middle class seeking their share of the economic expansion, water and energy shortfalls, and the burst of a growth bubble based on slave labor, over-extended credit, and inflated real estate values. It is likely that China will be unable to maintain the forces they are planning for in a legitimate state of readiness leaving them unable to exert significant maritime influence, assuming the central government can even survive that collapse.