Meanwhile, China

Review by Bill Doughty

"China's foreign policy addresses both bilateral relations and participation in multilateral organizations. Beijing's view that 'domestic law trumps, even creates, international law' is a problem for resolving the sovereignty issues that affect both of these facets of Chinese foreign policy." So writes Dr. Bernard "Bud" Cole in a new book that dives deep into the motives, capabilities and challenges of the Peoples Liberation Army (Navy).

Marxist communism has been replaced with nationalism, Cole contends, as the world's superheated economy burns more coal and looks to extract more nonrenewable petroleum resources on land and beneath the sea.

Cole's "China's Quest for Great Power: Ships, Oil, and Foreign Policy" (Naval Institute Press, 2018) is a measured, balanced and eye-opening study backed by 75 pages of notes and bibliography.

We see China's interests, goals and reasons for wanting "a seat at the table," as well as the PLA(N)'s maritime strategy, goals, challenges and inventory.

SOUTH CHINA SEA (Sept 25, 2018) An MH-60R Seahawk, assigned to the "Easyriders" of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 37 lands on the flight deck of the Arleigh-Burke class guided-missile destroyer Michael Murphy (DDG 112) forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by MC2 Justin R. Pacheco)

Ens. Adrienne Wang aboard USS Michael Murphy.

What can the United States and the rest of the international community do to counter China's quest for power and flouting of international law?

Our headlines focus on Russian meddling in elections, a Saudi hit squad dismembering a journalist, U.S. white nationalist attacking citizens, and South/Central American refugees seeking asylum; meanwhile we also need to care about China, Taiwan and the South China Sea.

The U.S. economy – as well as China's – is interdependent and tied to the global economy and sea lines of communication (SLOC). This book helps us understand the macro economic pulse of economic security, stability and prosperity that freedom of the seas provides.

"The United States is involved in all of China's maritime disputes, for several reasons. First is the vital U.S. concern with maintaining freedom of the seas, particularly freedom of access for U.S. and other seaborne trading. Second are the U.S. defense treaties with South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines, all of which border on areas in dispute with China. Third is the strategic assumption that global U.S. access, presence, and influence are being challenged by China's modernizing navy, expanding economic influence, and assertive foreign policy."

Author Capt. Bernard "Bud" D. Cole, USN (Ret.)

According to Cole, the future improvement of economic conditions in China "depends on the government's ability to maintain the security of the energy sector." How will China evolve as it confronts its own embittered nationalism, massive pollution, overfishing, unhappy neighbors and internal challenges: corruption, banking and currency issues, stove-piped opaque government, an aging population and "dramatic gender imbalance."

"Corruption, a weak intellectual property rights regime, and lack of innovation all characterize China's economy," Cole writes. "The question of how China's officials are going to seal their nation from 'western values' is both intriguing and disturbing." 

Using data and statistics, Cole shows how China's appetite has affected and continues to affect the environment, including the world's oceans. "In the words of one scientist, the combination of sovereignty and ecological 'problems mean the whole ecological system in the areas is at the brink of collapse.'"

The "areas" include not only the expansive land areas controlled by the Middle Kingdom, but also the South China Sea, the Yellow Sea and East China Sea – reaching far beyond the PRC's homeland territories.

"Why does China care so much about the sovereignty of these remote, mostly uninhabitable land features, many of which never show above the ocean's surface? The first reason is national pride, with memories of the 'century of humiliation.' Second is the issue of natural resources in the features' surrounding waters, including fisheries, petroleum, and other minerals. Third is the strategic location of the disputed land features, especially those in the South China Sea, an area of crucial SLOCs. Finally, Beijing desires to prevent events from occurring in the three seas of which it does not approve."

SECDEF James Mattis meets with China's Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe Oct. 18, 2018.

Cole presents the current ecosystem of politics, economy and energy that gives us a clear-eyed understanding of the issues not only from China's and our perspective, but also from China's neighbors, including Japan, India, Vietnam, Philippines and others.

"China's economy is international and maritime; China believes that a strong, globally capable navy is required to secure that international economy and the foreign-origin resources required to support continued economic growth," Cole concludes. 

As Americans are distracted by daily headlines at home, we are wise also to continue tracking "China's remarkable development," quest for great power, challenges to continued growth and "a Beijing goal of diminishing Washington's dominance at sea."