Shifting seas leave Chinese interests awash
- Source: Global Times
- [22:44 July 19 2010]
- Comments
By Ni Lexiong
The changes in China over the last 30 years have altered it from being a land-orientated, agricultural nation into one increasingly dependent on maritime traffic for its exports and imports.
But China isn't yet prepared to cope with this change into being a maritime nation, and so has encountered many unprecedented difficulties.
China is like a man trying to do business in an unfamiliar town full of robbers.
China hasn't been a significant naval power since the 16th century, and for decades its naval power was orientated purely toward coastal defense. As a result, China has very little ability to project naval power, making it difficult to protect its vital interests overseas or guard sea routes critical for national survival.
Instead, China has to conduct careful diplomacy with those nations that could threaten its key maritime routes.
In the South China Sea, China needs both to defend areas where it claims traditional sovereignty, and to defend its national maritime lifelines.
The South China Sea not only is important to national defense and trade, but also holds many valuable marine resources, such as fisheries. Failure to protect sovereign rights here could cause great damage to China's interests.
China's dependence on the sea without a navy to match has been a national Achilles' heel for some time.
Without effective military protection, China will have to make significant concessions or even accept humiliation if it comes into a significant conflict of interests with international maritime powers.
It is essential to have a strong Chinese navy in order to tackle these difficult issues. Even if a powerful navy cannot solve all the problems, the situation will be much better.
China can't wait for an Asian equivalent of the EU to be formed. Despite the impressive prospects, the degree of political integration in Asia is still far away from that of Europe.
Another strategy is to follow the UK, which lost its previous maritime supremacy in World War II and, as a highly sea-dependent nation, had to tie its interests with its close ally, the US. This means giving up a degree of national dignity, although it saves effort and money.
