Sea power crucial to China's future
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Globalization forces countries to strengthen their political and military power to protect their economic interests on the international stage. As China becomes more tightly integrated into the world economy, it is being forced to defend its maritime interests.
China is becoming increasingly dependent on imported oil, which now accounts for one third of its total petroleum consumption. But at the moment, China's maritime forces, being completely outclassed by the US Navy, cannot effectively protect its crucial sea lanes, meaning China's oil security is comparatively weak.
Modern history teaches us that nations which asserted control over the principal marine transportation routes secured the most advantageous position in terms of economic development.
Following the Industrial Revolution in Britain, a global market took shape that allocated resources and capital on a world scale. National prosperity began to depend on access to international markets and raw materials. Newly industrialized countries became great powers after they rapidly built up their naval power and battled for command of the sea, which in turn accelerated their economic development.
The Qing Dynasty was badly defeated in naval warfare by overseas imperialist powers, leading to the decline and fall of the dynasty. By contrast, the United States devoted huge resources to building up its naval power which underpinned its overseas expansion.
The era of globalization implies a change in the way we conceptualize China's national security. In the past China's principal concern was the security of its borders. But in the age we live in, the concept of national security must be expanded to include the protection of China's national interests on a global scale.
China needs to build the capabilities required to defend itself, not just in terms of territorial security – in effect against the threat of an enemy invasion – but also against threats to its overall national interests. This means building up naval forces to protect the vital sea lanes connecting China to the regions of the world.
We should remember that the US navy holds a dominant position in every corner of the globe. This doesn't mean that China should follow the suit. In the next 50 years, in line with Deng Xiaoping's target of building a "moderately developed country", China should focus mainly on strengthening its naval forces in its own territorial waters, including those around Taiwan and the Nansha Islands.
China needs to claim the maritime rights and resources which properly and originally belong to her. This is not about China suddenly making aggressive moves, but simply reflects the fact that, for too long, China's naval power lagged behind, and was unequal to the task of defending its huge territorial waters.
The author is a professor in the Center for Strategic Studies at the Beijing University of Aeronautics &Astronautics. His research focuses on the study of national security strategy.
(This article was translated by Ma Yujia and Jessica Zhang)
