Chinese Grand Strategy and Maritime Power

This challenging new book argues that the People's Republic of China is pursuing a long-term strategy to extend its national power by sea.

In this book, Thomas Kane offers a calm and dispassionate review that will be of interest both to maritime analysts and to the world's China watchers. He concludes that China is indeed building up its maritime power, with the intent of propelling itself once more among the foremost of the great powers, and ends with some stimulating reflections on how the West and China's neighbours should respond to this development. In strategic terms, the Asia-Pacific region is overwhelmingly maritime in orientation. The economies of the area, now so crucial to the effectiveness of the world economy as a whole, depend absolutely on sea trade. Marine resources, fish, oil and gas are essential to the prosperity of many countries in the region. The sea is the strategic space among the area's key players, the United States, Japan, Southeast Asia, the Koreas and Australasia. Unsurprisingly, jurisdiction over sea areas is in contentious dispute throughout the region. For all these reasons, Thomas Kane's review of the Chinese approach to maritime power is both apposite and timely. Its appearance is to be warmly welcomed.