This book is concerned with both the national security concerns of Asian maritime nations and the security of the Asian maritime commons. These are defined as the Pacific and Indian Oceans and associated seas, bays, and gulfs, with their included sea lines of communication (SLOCs). The most useful geographical designation for maritime Asia is the “Indo-Pacific.” Bernard Cole provides both a survey of the maritime strategies of the primary nations of the Indo-Pacific region and an evaluation of the domestic and international politics that drive those strategies. The United States, Canada, Russia, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, China, the Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar, India, Pakistan, Iran, the smaller Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf states are all surveyed and analyzed. The United States, Japan, China, and India not surprisingly draw the most attention, given their large modern navies and distant strategic reach. The author concludes that the United States remains the dominant maritime power in this huge region, stretching from Canada to the Persian Gulf, despite its lack of a traditionally strong merchant marine. U.S. maritime power remains paramount, due primarily to its dominant navy. The Chinese naval modernization program deservedly receives a good deal of public attention, but Cole argues that on a day-to-day basis the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force, as its navy is named, is the most powerful maritime force in Far Eastern waters, while the modernizing Indian Navy potentially dominates the Indian Ocean. In fact, a focus of this work is the exemplary description of all the region’s navies, with the author noting the naval arms race that is underway, particularly in the area of submarine acquisition. Cole is careful to couch this phenomenon in the regional concerns about Chinese naval expansion and the desire to ensure a continued, massive U.S. naval presence. The current naval developments in the region evince elements of a naval arms race, but lack the coherent maritime strategies to make naval developments dangerous to regional peace and security. Most telling will be whether United States power and focus remain on the region, while adjusting to continued Chinese maritime power in a way acceptable to both nations. No other current or recent work provides such a complete description of the Indo-Pacific region’s navies and maritime strategies, while analyzing the current and future impact of those forces.

The first-ever major study on maritime strategies in the Asian region and the technical co-operation possibilities with German maritime industries, provides an up-to date and comprehensive assessment of the maritime strategic concepts and the navy capabilities of the coastal countries of the Asia-Pacific region. From a European perspective Asia, stretching from the Indian Ocean to the Far Eastern regions, is of crucial importance for world trade and international stability. But global and regional prosperity and stability are closely related to the indispensable precondition of freedom of navigation for commercial shipping and the unrestricted use of sea-lanes of communication (SLOCs). For many years, the prime maritime concern was militaly, not economic, as the United States and other nations required secure maritime transport through the sea-lanes of the Asian regions in times of military tensions and war. Now the emphasis has shifted to the economic component, but freedom of navigation for commercial shipping will still have to be guaranteed by military or maritime means, and depends to a growing part on modem technical equipment. What are the major concerns? How well are nations in the region and outside it prepared to deal with these challenges? Are their navies equipped to match the new security environment and to defend the national interests? What are the possibilities of international co-operation? An international team of experts deals with these questions in this joint study led by the "Asia Strategic Institute Hong Kong" and the "Institute of International Relations" at the German Federal Armed Forces University in Munich.

Maritime power has been a key defining parameter of economic vitality and geostrategic power of nations. This book explores how the first decade of the 21st century has witnessed the rise of China and India as confident economic powers pivoting on high growth rates, exponential expansion of science, technology and industrial growth.

Leading academics from around the world, who specialize in analysing maritime strategic issues, deliberate the impact of the American 'pivot' or 're-balance' strategy, and the 'Air-Sea Battle' operational concept, on the maritime power and posture of a number of selected states. Intending to strengthen US economic, diplomatic, and security engagement throughout the Asia-Pacific, both bilaterally and multilaterally, the re-balance stands out as one of the Obama administration's most far-sighted and ambitious foreign policy initiatives.

This book conducts a comprehensive study on China's maritime strategy. It discusses the lessons of maritime power history that must be learnt by Chinese today, the relations between China's maritime strategy and domestic developing problems of China, the status and influence of maritime strategy from China's overall development strategy perspective, and the geopolitical targets of Chinese navy in 2050. China's maritime strategy is one of the most important academic and realistic subjects in the present and future. This book is the first book to discuss China's maritime strategy comprehensively in and outside China. It will give readers a better sense of why China has to develop its sea power, why it lays so much emphasis on Taiwan and the South China sea, why the country can make friends with India but not Japan, and why China's maritime strategy will never challenge America but has to face the pressure from America's maritime hegemony, and so on. Contents:Historical Lessons of Dealing with the Maritime Offensive Strategy in a Defensive WayLearn from the Sea Power Theory and Geopolitical TheoryThe Domestic Motivation of China's Maritime Power StrategyThe International Environment of China's Maritime Power StrategyThe Competitors of China's Maritime Power StrategyThe Geopolitical Watershed of China's Maritime PowersSurrounding Environment of China's Maritime Power StrategyThe Strategic Design for China's Maritime Power in Asia-Pacific Readership: Academics, undergraduate and graduate students, policymakers and professionals interested in China's maritime strategy and geopolitics. Key Features:In-depth and comprehensive analyses on China's maritime strategyFirst book outlines the geopolitical targets of Chinese navy in 2050Keywords:China;Maritime Strategy;Maritime Security;Sea Power;Geopolitics;Taiwan;India;Japan;Diaoyu Island;South China Sea;History;National Security

Asia is headed toward an uncertain and potentially volatile future in the maritime arena. The two rising Asian powers, China and India, dependent as they are on seaborne commerce for their economic well-being, have clearly set their eyes on the high seas. Yoshihara and Holmes offer a stark warning that many strategists in Beijing and New Delhi appear spellbound by the more militant visions of sea power. Indeed, both powers appear poised to develop the capacity to control the sea lanes through which the bulk of their commerce flows. If they enter the nautical environment with such a martial mindset, Asia could very well fall victim to regional rivalries that give rise to a vicious cycle of competition. Yoshihara and Holmes provide the first examination of the simultaneous rise of two naval powers and the potential impact that such an oceanic reconfiguration of power in Asia could have on long-term regional stability. Their study analyzes the maritime interests and strategies of the littoral states in Asia as they prepare for the expected reordering of nautical affairs. This long-overdue assessment revisits underlying assumptions that have prevailed among strategy-makers and provides a concrete policy framework for reducing the risk of confrontation in Asian waters.

This research aims to examine how and why a continental-oriented China has shifted its maritime strategic orientation and naval force structure from its coast toward the far seas in an era of interdependent international system. Generally, China is an ancient continental land power with an incomplete oceanic awareness. With the transformation after the Cold War of China's grand strategy from landward security to seaward security, maritime security interests have gradually become the most essential part of China's strategic rationale. This book contains six color maps.