Rethinking uniqueness of China's sea power development

ABSTRACT

China's recent maritime development has given rise to concerns from littoral states and other regional powers, threatened that China could turn out to be an assertive naval power similar to those maritime empires in history. However, Chinese policymakers and scholars reject such concerns. This commentary examines the claim that China has developed a ‘unique' comprehensive projection of sea power. The author suggests that, while China differs from historical maritime powers, this is because of the shift and expansion of the maritime agenda in the contemporary era. China is not unique but rather is meeting domestic policy needs addressing multiple maritime issues. China as a rising sea power is an important case to study contributing to the understanding of contemporary maritime power, especially the use of ‘grey-zone' operations in the Asia-Pacific.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes on contributor

Edward Sing Yue Chan is a Ph.D. graduate from the Department of Government and International Relations at the University of Sydney. His thesis examines why China used have a constrained maritime security strategy has become more assertive in recent years. Chan also holds a Master of International Relations (University of Melbourne 2014) and a B.A. in Politics and International Studies and Sociology (University of Melbourne 2012). Chan's research focuses on China's foreign policy, East Asian security, Chinese maritime history and maritime politics.