Correspondence: Debating China's Naval Nationalism
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Authors
Glosny, Michael A.
Saunders, Phillip C.
Ross, Robert S.
Subjects
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Date of Issue
2010
Date
Fall 2010
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Abstract
In “China’s Naval Nationalism: Sources, Prospects, and the U.S. Response,” Robert
Ross seeks to explain why “China will soon embark on a more ambitious maritime policy,
beginning with the construction of a power-projection navy centered on an aircraft
carrier.” Ross argues that geopolitical constraints should lead China, a continental
power, to pursue access denial as its optimal maritime strategy. He relies on “naval nationalism”to explain China’s development of naval power-projection capabilities,
which he describes as a suboptimal choice given China’s geopolitical position.
We argue that “naval nationalism” is an underdeveloped and unconvincing explanation
for China’s pursuit of expanded naval capabilities. Instead, China’s development
of a limited naval power-projection capability reflects changes in China’s threat environment and expanded Chinese national interests created by deeper integration into
the world economy. In our critique, we first identify flaws in Ross’s geopolitical analysis.
Second, we discuss shortcomings in his causal argument. Lastly, we briefly present
Chinese rationales for the development of limited power-projection capabilities, which
are consistent with a proper understanding of Chinese interests.
Type
Article
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Department
National Security Affairs
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Citation
International Security, Vol. 35, No. 2, (Fall 2010), pp. 161–175.
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This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.