ABSTRACT
China’s seaward turn has stimulated a lively internal debate among its elites. Over the past decade, Chinese researchers have published widely on China’s maritime power, cracking open a window onto Beijing’s strategic calculus. The writings address numerous topics, ranging from maritime strategy to naval operations. The literature is impressive for its candor and analytical rigor. Scholars routinely challenge each other, revealing a competitive intellectual environment. More recently, commentators have devoted their attention to the global maritime order and China’s place in it, suggesting that the Chinese are starting to take the long view on seapower. This trend warrants attention because the future stability of maritime Asia hinges on how well – or how badly – China settles into the current order.
