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International Journal of Political Science ISSN: 2228-6217 Vol 8, No 2 , Summer 2018, (pp.1-13) China’s Maritime Interest and the Great Game at Seas Peu Ghosh * Department of Political Science, Lady Brabourne College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India Received: 22 Dec 2017 ; Accepted: 20 May 2018 Abstract: Linking China‘s interest in the maritime waters arises from the geo-strategic importance of Sea Lines of Communications (SLOCs) vital to the oil supply of the country. China is building strategic relationships and developing a naval capability to establish a for- ward presence along the SLOCs that connect China to the Middle East and to Africa. The entire stretch includes South China Sea, Indian Ocean region and stretches as far as the Persian Gulf on the one hand and Port of Sudan on the other.The net result is a geo- graphical distribution of bases like the Chinese ‗pearls‘, USA ‗diamonds‘ and Indian ‗nuggets‘, principally reflecting concerns over energy security and secure access to SLOCs by each of the players. This paper would highlight the great game along the ma- ritime domain of China while highlighting the clash of interests with major players in this area as well as Chinese engagements with multitude of players to counter the chal- lenges arising from competitors. How energy requirement and quest for market imbibe China to design maritime strategies will be an important focus of this paper. It is also necessary to make an in-depth study of Chinese maritime strategy as it is going to have a grave impact on world politics. The paper will try to make future projections of the ‗Great Game‘ in the maritime stretch of importance to China. Keywords: Sea Lines of Communications, Maritime strategy, Great Game, Strategic re- lationship, ‗Pearls‘, ‗Diamonds‘, ‗Nuggets‘. Introduction world heading towards the existence of a sole The twentieth century witnessed a wave of hegemon, the United States of America globalization, spread of capitalist free-market (USA/US). The US became the strongest economy and a total change in the interna- power both in economic terms and military tional economic scenario. The political sce- dominance in the Post-Cold War era. How- nario also experienced dramatic transforma- ever, the 9/11 and the subsequent War on tions. From a bipolar world, it moved to a Terror did not reinforce American hegemony unipolar world. The reason is obviously the and the economic meltdown of 2008 further disintegration of the Soviet Union and the accelerated what academicians have started * Corresponding Author‘s Email: [email protected] 2 China‘s Maritime Interest and the Great Game at Seas… to ascribe it as an end of the American Cen- arena undoubtedly has an influence on con- tury. Against this backdrop, the rise of a mul- temporary World Politics even in the Twen- tipolar world with countries like China and ty-First Century, too. The most revered work India has to be followed closely. In the con- of Mahan which is being referred to in this text of this article, China‘s gradual rise is to article is his book – The Influence of Sea be examined as it tries to consolidate its vital Power upon History: 1660-1783, (1890). interests through OBOR initiative and ‗Mari- The strategic concepts which he discussed time Silk Road‘. in this book can no way be undermined. He This article is an attempt to study the talked about the sea as a ‗great highway‘ and perspective that is thought to be behind the ‗wide common‘ with ‗well-worn trade routes‘ ‗maritime silk road‘ as well as changes in over which men pass in all directions. He China‘s naval strategy in the recent times to also identified several narrow passages of show its naval prowess in the maritime strategic ‗choke points‘ and the control over stretch along the Sea Lines of Communica- them are what give a decisive power to a tions (SLOCs) which are transit for energy country. He had largely talked about the evo- and goods supply. Oil politics or to put it lution of Britain into a World Empire. Mahan another way, the disruption of choke points in his several writings like the one in the At- along the SLOCs have been dealt with this lantic Monthly entitled ‗The United States article to show the future flash points of Looking Outward‘ (1890) hinged upon the rivalry in the high seas.The catch point of point that U.S. security and interests were this article is that it tries to make future affected by the balance of power in Europe predictions of trends of maritime world and Asia. He understood that an Anglo- politics along the maritime zone of interest American sea-power was key to ensuring of China. geo-political pluralism in Eurasia. In his later writings, Mahan reviewed the successive A Prelude to China’s Maritime Interest moves towards the European continental he- and Strategy gemony by Spanish and Austrian Hapsburgs, A name to reckon with any kind of discus- Louis XIV‘s France as well as Napoleonic sion of maritime strategy or maritime policy France where the great conditions supported connected with a country‘s maritime interest by sea-power thwarted the would-be hege- is that of Alfred Thayer Mahan. The works of mons. In his other work The Problems of this American naval strategist has relevance Asia and Its Effect Upon International Poli- till today and will continue to be so. Mahan cies, (1900) he showed how an expansionist was a legendary geo-political strategic think- Russia should be contained by an alliance of er who can be ascribed as a naval visionary. the US, Great Britain, France, Germany, and His understanding of the real politics in in- Japan. The Cold War period witnessed such ternational relations and the importance of containment policies as projected by Mahan. geography in the strategic thinking of a coun- In this work, Mahan also identified China try has to be recognized with respect. His with ‗immense latent force‘ and a potential understanding of the role of sea power in na- geopolitical rival of USA. Chinese military tional security as well as in the international thinkers might feel inspired by the dictums of 3 International Journal of Political Science, Vol 8, No 2 , Summer 2018 Mahan and might be embracing the strategic The US Energy Information Administration thinking of Mahan in the twenty-first Cen- (EIA) acknowledges the importance of eight tury. The book written by James R.Holmes vital choke points in the world which are cru- and Toshi Yoshi hare entitled Chinese Naval cial to oil supply. They are the Strait of Hor- Strategy in the 21st Century: the Turn to Ma- muz, the Strait of Malacca, the Cape of Good han (2007) is a pointer in this direction. Hope, and the Bab-el Mandab, the Danish Undoubtedly economic motivation is the Straits, the Suez Canal, the Bosporus and primary driver force in China‘s orientation Panama Canal. Out of these eight, China has towards its claimed maritime domain. China concerns over those choke points present in therefore, is interested in securing sea lanes the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean that are vital to China‘s energy supplies and stretching as far as the Persian Gulf and route other important economic activities. For this, to Europe. These routes are of China‘s con- China is bent on thwarting the regional rising cern because these are strategic trade routes hegemons and international global players and oil supply lines for China. A blockade of and trying to increase its influence in the sea. such choke points would hit hard the Chinese This can be related to China‘s ‗rise‘ and its economy. Therefore, to secure such vital ambition to become a global player in inter- choke points establishing ‗island outposts‘ national relations, too. This leads to many therefore, becomes a priority for China with probabilities of interaction between USA and which it has been working and staking claims China, China and India, China and South-east of several islands in this maritime stretch. Asian Countries and China and Japan and The Chinese claims of the islands of Paracel how they manage their internation- and Spratly are pointers in this direction. al/bilateral/multilateral relations pertaining to Chinese military buildup in these islands is high seas. noteworthy. The aim obviously is to create military bases as well as naval bases in order Identifying China’s Maritime Interest and to secure not only the oil routes but also Choke Point Politics southern approach to the country. At the outset, the maritime stretch of China The eight vital choke points in this Indian needs to be identified. from a Chinese point Ocean region are the Strait of Hormuz, the of view, its maritime stretch includes the Mozambique Channel, the Six Degree Chan- South China Sea, and even East China Sea, nel, the Sunda Strait, the Bab-el Mandeb, the Indian Ocean region, and stretches as far as Nine Degree Channel, the Strait of Malacca the Persian Gulf on the one hand and Port of and the Lombok Strait. Chinese security Sudan on the other. China seeks to ensure stretch extends from the Strait of Malacca to that there is unimpeded access to markets, the Strait of Hormuz and extends as far as to energy supplies, raw materials and technolo- the coast of Africa. For instance, China is gy and secured maritime and land transport cautious about its Malacca dilemma- a corridors as a part of its national interest choke point blockade threat. Therefore, Chi- along this entire stretch of water. nese involvement in port and pipeline devel- The presence of choke points is vital to opments in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the security of the SLOCs along this mari- and Burma are aimed at enhancing energy time stretch.

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