What is China’s Maritime Power?

It has been a decade since 2012 when China has set the national goal of ‘constructing a strong maritime state’ (建设海洋强国). However, the government has introduced all-encompassing maritime policies, claiming that they all play a part in the building of maritime power. Therefore, it is still unclear to us of what China’s maritime power is exactly about. In this talk, I will reveal five main objectives that have been frequently mentioned with maritime power in Chinese official documents. I suggest that China has regarded itself as building a comprehensive maritime power with the emphasis of economic, legal and technological dimensions of sea power. Additionally, I will explain the Chinese narrative of the role of navy in its maritime strategy.

Edward Sing Yue Chan is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Australian Centre on China in the World. His work focuses on China’s security policy, foreign policy, maritime security, and seapower ideology. He is the author of China’s Maritime Security Strategy: The Evolution of a Growing Sea Power (Routledge, 2021).

The ANU China Seminar Series is supported by the Australian Centre on China in the World at ANU College of Asia and the Pacific.