AdvertisementĪlthough the long-term implications of Xi’s speech seem clear, its short term message is harder to discern.
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Xi then promised to enhance efforts to make marine industries a pillar of China's national economy, and called on “relevant parties” to help “cultivate the marine economy into a new growth point of the country.”Īstute readers of the Naval Diplomat are no doubt thinking, the broad importance Xi attributes to the seas has striking parallels to America’s most famous naval theorist, Alfred Thayer Mahan.Īs Jim Holmes recently noted on his blog, while Mahan’s writings on “the mechanics of naval warfare” may read their age, his “meditations on the logic of sea power - a logic founded on commerce, bases, and ships, and on commercial, political, and military access to important theaters - appear everlasting.” The truth in this statement was on full display when Xi gave his speech this week. The Chinese president apparently placed particular emphasis on the importance of the seas in spurring economic development, stating (as summarized by state media), “In the 21st century, oceans and seas have an increasingly important role to play in a country's economic development and opening up to the outside world.”Įnjoying this article? Click here to subscribe for full access. Get briefed on the story of the week, and developing stories to watch across the Asia-Pacific. State media summarized one part of Xi’s speech as saying, “The oceans and seas have an increasingly important strategic status concerning global competition in the spheres of politics, economic development, military, and technology.” Diplomat Brief Weekly Newsletter N
The call for transforming China into a maritime power came as part of a broader speech on the importance of the maritime arena for all aspects of Chinese society.
Other parts of the speech emphasized the importance of cooperating with other powers that have “converging interests” in maritime development. In a possible olive branch to Japan, Xi added that China would adhere to a policy of “shelving disputes and carrying out joint development” in areas where it maintains sovereignty over. While saying Beijing would adhere to the path of peaceful development, Xi also promised that “in no way will the country abandon its legitimate rights and interests, nor will it give up its core national interests.” In a speech to a study session of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on Tuesday, Xi Jinping called for turning China into a maritime power, state media reported on Wednesday.
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