Japanese summary translation now available: 中国の航空宇宙パワー海洋任務への発展.

Highlighted in GlobalSecurity.org’s Special Selections.

Author of “Beijing’s Aerospace Revolution: Short-Range Opportunities, Long-Range Challenges,” 3-18.

Coauthor, with Jing-Dong Yuan, of “Antiaccess and China’s Air-Launched Cruise Missiles,” 275-86;

and, with David Yang, of “Chinese Analysts Assess the Potential for Antiship Ballistic Missiles,” 328-42.

For a video introducing the volume’s contents, watch Prof. Andrew S. Erickson, Eight Bells Book Lecture, Naval War College Museum, 8 September 2011.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS

China’s aircraft carrier program is already making major waves well before the first ship has even been completed. Undoubtedly, this development heralds a new era in Chinese national security policy. While Chinese Aerospace Power presents substantial new insight on that particular question, its main focus is decidedly broader in scope. This book offers a comprehensive survey of Chinese aerospace developments, with a concentration on areas of potential strategic significance previously unexplored in Western scholarship. It also links these developments to the vast maritime battlespace of the Asia-Pacific region and highlights the consequent implications for the U.S. military, particularly the U.S. Navy.

The possibility of a future Chinese expeditionary force operating off Africa under the protective umbrella of carrier aircraft is not without consequence for the global strategic balance. However, a simpler set of aerospace systems, from microsatellites to unmanned aerial vehicles to ballistic and cruise missiles are already challenging U.S. maritime dominance in East Asia. Cumulatively, progress in all major aerospace dimensions by various elements of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) signifies a new period in which Chinese forces are now decisively altering the complexion of the military balance in the East Asian littoral.

While many articles and books have previously been written on Chinese aerospace development and many more discuss future U.S. naval strategy in the Asia-Pacific region, no other book connects the two issues, simultaneously evaluating the Chinese aerospace challenge and its implications for U.S. naval strategy.

Chinese Aerospace Power offers both broad strategic context for the lay reader and considerable insights for even the most well-informed specialists, with no fewer than five chapters devoting coverage to significant aspects of China’s development of a “carrier killer” anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM).

Publication date: July 2011

512 pp., 2 b/w photos, 15 illustrations, 6” x 9”

ISBN: 978-159114-241-6

Political Science, International Relations

This is the fifth volume in the Naval Institute Press series “Studies in Chinese Maritime Development” published jointly by the China Maritime Studies Institute and the Naval Institute Press. Click here for information regarding previous volumes in the series.

China, the United States, and 21^st Century Sea Power

Edited by Andrew S. Erickson, Lyle J. Goldstein, and Nan Li

ISBN: 978-1-59114-243-0

China Goes to Sea: Maritime Transformation in Comparative Historical Perspective

Edited by Andrew S. Erickson, Lyle J. Goldstein, and Carnes Lord

ISBN: 978-1-59114-242-3

China’s Energy Strategy: The Impact on Beijing’s Maritime Policies

Edited by Gabriel B. Collins, Andrew S. Erickson, Lyle J. Goldstein, and William S. Murray

ISBN: 978-1-59114-330-7

China’s Future Nuclear Submarine Force

Edited Andrew S. Erickson, Lyle J. Goldstein, William S. Murray, and Andrew R. Wilson

ISBN: 978-1-59114-326-0

Andrew S. Erickson is an associate professor in the U.S. Naval War College’s Strategic Research Department and a founding member of its China Maritime Studies Institute (CMSI). He is an Associate in Research at Harvard University’s Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies and a Fellow in the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations’ Public Intellectuals Program.

Lyle J. Goldstein is an associate professor in the Strategic Research Department at the U.S. Naval War College, and the founding director of the department’s China Maritime Studies Institute. He is proficient in Chinese and Russian, and has published widely in scholarly journals on China, Russia, Central Asia, and surface and undersea warfare.

BLURBS

“In this edited volume, Erickson and Goldstein provide us with a comprehensive survey of China’s ongoing efforts to shift the military balance in the Western Pacific decisively in its favor through the development and application of aerospace power as it pertains to the maritime competition. Drawing upon primary research and Chinese sources, this volume will be a valuable and timely addition to the libraries of those with an interest in this issue of growing geostrategic importance.”

—Dr. Andrew F. Krepinevich Jr., President of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, author of 7 Deadly Scenarios: A Military Futurist Explores the Changing Face of War in the 21st Century

“This coverage of this book is at once broad and deep. It serves well as an introduction to advances in Chinese maritime aerospace technology, and it will also reward expert readers looking for the latest update on these evolving capabilities. Many readers will be surprised by the extent of Chinese progress described by the contributors to this work. Assembling evidence from a necessarily diverse range of sources, they detail the strategic as well as the technical issues that are shaping the Chinese military establishment as it looks beyond the country’s shores, and they examine how it will develop in coming years and decades.”

—Bradley Perrett, Asia-Pacific bureau chief, Aviation Week, Beijing

“Chinese Aerospace Power is an excellent and very readable overview of China’s impressive advances in almost every aspect of air and space operations. Not only have the Chinese developed impressive technical capabilities, but they have also given careful thought to the operational concepts associated with them. There is no reason that China must be an enemy of the United States, but it would be folly on our part if we were to lose to China the across-the-board technology lead that has been vital to our national security for well over a half century. This is a must read for anyone with a concern for American or Chinese military affairs.”

—Col. John A. Warden III, USAF (Ret.), Gulf War I planner, president of Venturist, Inc., author of The Air Campaign and Winning in FastTime

“Chinese Aerospace Power arrives on the scene as the United States is facing declining resources for defense while the Chinese are realizing rapid expansion of its military capabilities in the aerospace and maritime domains. Andrew Erickson and Lyle Goldstein yield timely insight into how these two trends are evolving in these arenas. Resolving the security objectives of the United States and China in the Pacific—and around the world—requires that policymakers and military strategists understand the reality of Chinese military capability, experiences, and perspectives. This work provides that insight and is a must read as Chinese aerospace development is significantly altering the character of the military and political balance in the Pacific.”

—Lt. General David A. Deptula, USAF (Ret.), former USAF Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance

“Absolutely the most important book on air and space power I’ve had the pleasure to read. The power of this detailed survey of Chinese Aerospace Power is doubled because it presents both an intelligent American analysis and an insightful view of the ‘Chinese perception’ of the situation. Our two nations have much in common, but the understanding this difference in perception is essential to our selection of our future alternatives. A must have book!”

—Col. Walter J. Boyne, USAF (Ret.), National Aviation Hall of Fame honoree and former director of the National Air and Space Museum, author of Beyond the Wild Blue: A History of the U.S. Air Force, 1947-2007

“China’s air and space development is an area of significant interest for the U.S. Navy. This book elucidates the critical linkage between China’s military aerospace and maritime capabilities. Whereas China’s rapid progress has already rendered many other studies obsolete, this volume connects the latest ‘data point’ dots and puts them in strategic context. Navy leaders and planners should read it today.”

—Admiral Timothy J. Keating, USN (Ret.), former Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Command

REVIEWS

“this volume evaluates the advances that China has made in its aerospace operations and the implications of this advancement for U.S. naval strategy.”

—Katherine Duke, “Chinese Aerospace Power: Evolving Maritime Roles,” “Short Takes,” Amherst Magazine (Fall 2011): 46.

“This enormously valuable and very up-to-date work… provides a very comprehensive analytical overview of the rapid development of the aerospace functions of the PLA Navy. Politicians, military officers, journalists, naval architects, ship-builders, ship-owners and even businessmen who have any connection with or concern for China would be well advised to buy and carefully study this book.”

—Ausmarine (November 2011): 36.

“offers a broad overview and appraisal of recent developments in Chinese aerospace and maritime power and examines implications for the US military, especially Chinese prowess in fielding advanced cruise missiles and China’s long-range precision-strike capabilities that pose a threat to forces in the Western Pacific theater….”

—“Reference & Research Book News,” Book News Inc. (October 2011), 306.

“This volume has numerous strengths. Its greatest contribution to existing literature is that it uses a great deal of open source Chinese based literature to add credence to the authors ideas. …  The work assembles … an all-star cast of scholars to discuss one of the most timely security studies subjects of the 21st century. … When considered as a whole or in part, this work should give US strategic planners a moment of pause. Erickson and Goldstein have created a volume that is balanced, dense in scope but still readable and enjoyable. Combined with the assemblage of a ‘who’s who’ in Chinese security studies, the appeal of such a work is hard to deny. This volume should serve as the textbook to any security studies student who wishes to gain a scholarly perspective on China’s aerospace and military rise to power from a maritime perspective. It is a work I will keep close at hand for years to come.”

—Harry Kazianis, “Review: Chinese Aerospace Power, Evolving Maritime Roles,” 5 Stars, e-International Relations, 6 September 2011.

“… despite the numerous one-off articles, there hasn’t until now been a place in English that brings together all the pieces of the puzzle. That is until the recent publication by the China Maritime Studies Institute of Chinese Aerospace Power: Evolving Maritime Roles. The volume… offers a comprehensive overview of all the latest developments, and touches on the whole spectrum of the Chinese aerospace capabilities…. The essays, from some of the most highly regarded analysts in the field, help provide a good understanding of the state of Chinese aerospace modernization. The book not only examines the technical feasibility of Chinese plans, as well as their strengths and weaknesses, but also delves deep into domestic Chinese debates about the weapons systems in question. The volume manages to get to the core of the issue through open source analysis that compares and contrasts Chinese writings on the topic from a variety of official and unofficial sources, offering a far broader perspective than volumes focusing only on Western analysis. Indeed, Chinese Aerospace Power delves deeply into the Chinese system, examining inter-service rivalries and integration and training issues. … The book is a must-read piece for every government official involved with China-related issues, military or otherwise. If knowing your interlocutor is a prerequisite for successful negotiations, the book should be a big step towards providing a balanced and necessary understanding.”

—Eleni Ekmektsioglou, “Understanding China,” The Diplomat, 26 August 2011.

“…this book was astonishing. …Almost everyone of the paper was informative (make that eye-opening)… Kudos to the authors and editor. But the heart of the book for a novice like myself was the realization of what the Chinese Second Artillery Corps has pulled off. Terminally guided precision Anti Ship Ballistic Missiles (ASBM) have essentially made our carriers obsolete for a war-time Taiwan mission in the Western Pacific. The PLAAF cruise missile, fighter and air defense systems are impressive. All of it feels like the Soviet reconnaissance/strike package implemented by a country that has its act together. This book should be required reading by every staffer in Washington.”

—Tech Historian, “Outstanding! A Must Have on Your Shelf,” 5 Star Rating, Amazon.com, 23 August 2011.

“In the past, I have found works by Andrew Erickson, Lyle Goldstein and the good folks at China Maritime Studies Institute (CMSI) to be of the highest quality and this book was no exception. … It does a great job of understanding China’s motivations/intentions, while fairly examining PLA’s capabilities and training. For those seeking for a greater understanding of China’s air force, space development and Second Artillery Command, I think this is a must read. … On top of that, I was pleasantly surprised by all of the new information/analysis that I found in this book regarding China’s ASBM program. I have read many differently analyses on ASBM (including several by CMSI), but this book really provided a much more comprehensive look than anything else I have read. The discussions on subjects like conflict escalation of ASBM, hard kill vs soft kill and non-carrier targets were very refreshing. So, for all those who are interested in learning more about China’s Air Force, space development and Second Artillery, I think this book would be an excellent read.”

—Feng, “Review of Chinese Aerospace Power: Evolving Maritime Roles,” Information Dissemination, 16 August 2011.

“…the papers presented by this installation are of the highest quality with primary Chinese sources. They are written by the most respected authorities on the subject…. While unveiling fancy new equipment can generate headlines, the press generally doesn’t ask the deeper question of how new equipment may change existing PLA doctrine or examine potential implications. This is where the good folks from the CMSI come in and provide analyses that are lacking in the blogosphere….”

—China Defense Blog, 31 July 2011.

“A useful analysis of Chinese air power, especially with regards to the sea. Balanced and highly technical, the book aims neither to hype nor downplay PLA capabilities.”

—David Axe, “Useful Analysis,” 4 Star Rating, Amazon.com, 28 July 2011.

“…Beijing has a brutally simple—if risky—plan to compensate for [its] relative weakness: buy missiles. And then, buy more of them. All kinds of missiles: short-range and long-range; land-based, air-launched and sea-launched; ballistic and cruise; guided and ‘dumb.’ Those are the two striking themes that emerge from Chinese Aerospace Power….”

—David Axe, “China’s Plan to Beat U.S.: Missiles, Missiles and More Missiles,” Danger Room, Wired.com, 27 July 2011.

Japanese summary translation now available: 中国の航空宇宙パワー海洋任務への発展.

概　説

中国の空母計画は、一番艦が完成する前に大きな波紋を十分に齎しつつある。疑いなく、この開発は中国の国家安全保障政策に新しい時代の到来を告げるものだ。

一方、この本は、特定の質問に対して十分に新しい洞察力を示し、その焦点は、はっきりとより広い知的範囲にある。

中国の航空宇宙パワーは、以前には西洋の学問が未踏であった戦略的分野に焦点を置き、中国の航空宇宙開発の包括的な調査を試みている。

また本書は、これらの開発をアジア－太平洋地域における広大な海洋戦域にリンクさせ、米軍、特に米海軍に対する結果としての影響について強調している。
著者について

アンドリュー・エリクソンとライル・Ｊ・ゴールドスタインは米国海軍大学の戦略研究部准教授であり、中国海洋研究所の発起人である。彼らは、「中国、米国及び21 世紀のシーパワー」及び「中国は海へ進出」を含む幾つかの書籍を共著している。

A Proceedings Magazine 2010 Notable Naval Book

Author of “The Container Security Initiative and U.S.-China Relations,” pp. 59-100;

“Prospects for Sino-U.S. Naval Cooperation against Avian Influenza,” pp. 326-52;

and “Chinese Views of America’s New Maritime Strategy,” pp. 429-70.

Coauthor, with Lyle Goldstein, of “Introduction: In the Same Boat Together,” pp. ix-xxix.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

China’s rise on the world’s oceans is attracting wide attention and may ultimately restructure the global balance of power during the course of the 21st century. Many books have described this phenomenon and the significant strategic implications that flow from Beijing’s rapid maritime development. However, the subject of whether and how to potentially integrate a stronger China into a global maritime security partnership has not been adequately explored. Delving into a variety of vital domains of contemporary maritime security, American and Chinese contributors to this edited volume illustrate that despite recent turbulence in U.S.-China military relations, substantial shared interests should enable extensive maritime security cooperation. But for professionals to structure cooperation effectively, they warn, Washington and Beijing must create sufficient political and institutional space.

This is the fourth book in the series “Studies in Chinese Maritime Development” published jointly by the China Maritime Studies Institute and the Naval Institute Press.

BLURBS

“At a time when many are talking about a possible China-U.S. naval conflict as part of their strategic rivalry, this path-breaking volume offers an alternative approach. The authors present a blueprint for pursuing shared U.S.-China interests and cooperation in the maritime domain. It is a must-read for practitioners and strategists alike who wish to see a new partnership between the two maritime giants.”

–Prof. Wang Jisi, Dean, School of International Studies, Peking University

“If you think the U.S.-China relationship is the foremost of our bilateral relationships, and if issues on the seas of East Asia give you pause, then this book is for you. Events give it timeliness; the exceptional quality and depth of research give it permanence. This comprehensive set of thoughts, background, and actionable recommendations belongs on the desk of military and diplomatic decision-makers, as well as scholars of the U.S.-China way ahead.”

–Admiral Joseph W. Prueher, USN (Ret.), Former Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Command, and Ambassador to China

“In the maritime strategic tensions more prominent than before between China and the United States, this excellently edited collection is essential because it focuses on the hopeful maritime security partnership between them. It is definitely among the few best books on this topic, a topic with enormous implications for the security and prosperity of the 21^st-century world.”

–Dr. Shi Yinhong, Professor of International Relations and Strategy, and Director, Center for American Studies, Renmin University of China

“The opportunities and challenges confronting the United States and China in the maritime domain in the years ahead are of great importance to those two countries and to the entire Asia-Pacific region. Thoughtful examination and analysis of those opportunities and challenges, as done in this publication, will provide a critical foundation for decision-makers as they address stability and security issues for the United States and China.”

–Admiral Timothy J. Keating, USN (Ret.), Former Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Command

“A timely, penetrating analysis of the transformation of contemporary power relations at sea. Chinese and American maritime interests are destined to affect their relations, and hence their cooperative partnership is of vital importance to a rule-binding security order in the world.”

–Dr. Shen Dingli, Executive Dean, Institute of International Studies, and Director, Center for American Studies, Fudan University

REVIEWS

“An oft-heard refrain from international relations specialists, as well as within Track II fora, is that maritime confidence-building measures and maritime cooperation are necessary to lessen tensions. Indeed they are, but the difficulty is moving from the “general” exhortation for cooperation to the “specific” practicalities of what is achievable. And that is the main utility of this book—it is written by practitioners who discuss issues and proffer options that can be used.”

–Andrew Forbes, “China and Sea Power in the Twenty-First Century,” International Journal of Maritime History 23.1 (June 2011): 341-46.

“The US Naval Institute Press has, along with the China Maritime Studies Institute at the US Naval War College, published key studies on PRC maritime developments. … The new book by the two institutes, China, the United States and 21st Century Sea Power: Defining a Maritime Security Partnership, takes understanding of the PRC’s maritime ambitions to the next level.”

–Gregory R. Copley, “Focus on PLA(N),” Essential Reading: Important New Strategic Literature, Defense & Foreign Affairs Strategic Policy 4 (2011): 16.

“Chinese sea power is very much a concern of U.S. naval strategists and factors in the deliberations of the United States as it attempts to balance its force structure to fight and win high-intensity wars as well as low intensity conflicts. … The[se] papers explore the issue of integrating China into a global maritime security partnership.”

–Richard R. Burgess, Managing Editor, “Books Detail Chinese Naval Strategy,” Seapower 54.7 (July 2011), 49.

“Each year there is one book that stands out from the pack. China, the United States and 21st Century Sea Power… needs to be read by every member of the Australian Naval Institute, not only because it provides a blue-print for naval policy in the Asia-Pacific Century but also because it is one of the few authoritative works that discusses a cooperative alternative to the sensationalist threat driven responses to the rise of China.  …a positive, balanced, thought provoking, and timely study which will no doubt impact upon the relationship between China and the United States over the next twenty years. … This book is highly recommended.”

–Gregory P. Gilbert, Air Power Development Centre, Headmark: Journal of the Australian Naval Institute (May 2011).

“The essays, written by experts on both sides of the Pacific, present varied views typical of the spirit of academic freedom that prevails at the Naval War College (despite its governmental sponsorship) and serves as the bedrock of the Naval Institute’s long-respected open forum.”

–Lt. Cdr. Thomas J. Cutler, USN (Ret.), “Notable Naval Books of 2010,” U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings 137:5 (May 2011): 64-69.

“a fine and very highly recommended read, not to be missed.”

–“The Military Shelf,” Wisconsin Book Watch, Midwest Book Review, 6.2 (February 2011).

“This volume presents an analysis of how the United States’ new maritime strategy will affect the international system, and particularly how it will affect relations with China. It argues that extensive US–China maritime-security cooperation is both possible and desirable.”

–“Brief Notices: Asia-Pacific,” Survival, 53.1 (February–March 2011): 199-200.

“The attempt by the good folks at the US Naval War College should be applauded – the impact of this important work will move from academia to shape the policy between two great nations and half the world.”

–Xinhui, China Defense Blog, 5 January 2011.

MEDIA

Andrew S. Erickson, “China, the United States, and 21st-Century Sea Power,” Interview on John Batchelor Show, 77 WABC Radio New York, 5 February 2011.

Go to section 18:13-34:44 of the podcast to hear the interview.

Japanese language summary translations now available: “書籍2:中国は海へ進出–歴史的経緯の比較による海洋の変革”and “大陸国家が海洋を目指す時.”

Coauthor, with Lyle Goldstein, of “Chinese Perspectives on Maritime Transformation,” pp. xiii-xxxvi;

and “China Studies the Rise of Great Powers,” pp. 401-25. Required reading for the Naval War College Strategy and Policy Department’s Senior Leadership Course.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

China’s turn toward the sea is evident in its stunning rise in global shipbuilding markets, its expanding merchant marine, its wide reach of offshore energy exploration, its growing fishing fleet, and its increasingly modern navy. Unlike other works that view China in isolation, this comprehensive assessment of China’s potential as a genuine maritime power places China in a larger world historical context. The authors, all authorities on their respective historical eras, examine cases of attempted maritime transformation through the ages, from the Persian Empire to the Soviet Union, and determine the reasons for success or failure. Without underestimating the enduring pull of China’s past as it embodies threats to the country’s internal stability and its landward borders, this comparative study provides reasons to believe–despite continued skepticism–that China has turned the corner on maritime transformation. If this proves to be true, the authors contend, such a transformation would be an extraordinary event in the history of the last two millennia. Their work updates other books written on the subject that have been overtaken by China’s rapid strategic and technological change. Readers will especially appreciate the book’s detailed maps and forward-looking analytical framework for understanding the future of Asian maritime power.

BLURBS (FULL-LENGTH)

“Throughout Asia today, China dominates the conversation. …This valuable new book… provides in one volume a comprehensive assessment of China’s naval development, the principal historical precedents, and the complex thought process that guides the Chinese Navy’s leadership.”

–Admiral Walter F. Doran, USN (Ret.), former Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet

“The maritime history of China has long been a neglected field. The absorbing interpretive essays in China goes to Sea bring that knowledge-gap to an end…. This volume will be an indispensable companion to those readers seeking to understand where China’s navy may be heading.”

–Jonathan Spence, Yale University, author of Treason by the Book and The Search for Modern China

“…a veritable feast of delights. It shows how important Chinese maritime power is likely to be for the rest of us, but also how complex that issue actually is. It identifies so many lessons, and it establishes the dangers, limits and opportunities so well that we must hope that Chinese policy-makers also read this deeply authoritative book closely, for their sake, as well as for ours.”

–Geoffrey Till, Corbett Centre for Maritime Policy Studies, UK, author of Seapower: A Guide for the 21st Century

“This is an original and well-designed collection of scholarly essays on the larger historical context of China’s current maritime growth. … an important read.”

–Paul Kennedy, Yale University, author of The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers

“This book deserves to be read by every career Navy and Marine officer and then retained on his/her bookshelf.”

–Rear Admiral Ronald J. Kurth, USN (Ret.)

“…a remarkable collection of essays by a group of outstanding scholars. … Current developments make it essential reading for students of China, strategy, and international relations.”

–Donald Kagan, Yale University, author of On the Origins of War and The Peloponnesian War

“Among its many other merits, it provides a valuable window into what the Chinese themselves are thinking about strategic maritime matters.”

–John Curtis Perry, The Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy, Tufts University

“…a major contribution to the development of a comparative and historical perspective on contemporary China’s growing maritime ambitions. …essential reading for scholars and policy makers concerned about Chinese defense policy and developments in Chinese maritime policy.”

–Robert S. Ross, Professor of Political Science, Boston College

REVIEWS

“This book is a wonderful academic review not just of China’s maritime power but of the history of sea command. The editors do a remarkable job of building a comprehensive picture of where China stands today in its pursuit of maritime capability to match its economic ascendency and continental military power. …In answering why China needs a maritime power projection capability, this book clearly illustrates the links among economics, national security, and strategic ambition. All too often the naval lobby forgets to link these factors. Perhaps this lesson should be allowed to reverberate around Western corridors of power, next time the naval lobby comes second in the debate over the division of meager defence resources. … The introduction poses a list of 10 key questions. These questions are so pertinent they should be given to those charged with generating maritime strategy. These 10 simple questions illuminate the issue of strategy generation with clarity and vision. I would commend them to any student or serving officer when looking for a justification of the importance of maritime strategy within the realm of national security. The first part of the book is devoted to pre-modern era maritime states, charting collectively the rise of Persia, Sparta, Rome and the Ottoman Turks. This succinct comparative review would serve as an excellent introduction to any student of naval power in the ancient world. The authors bring a fresh perspective to events that have traditionally caused narcolepsy to students. …”

–Dave Mugridge, Canadian Naval Review, 7.2 (Summer 2011): 42-43.

“The US Naval Institute Press has, along with the China Maritime Studies Institute at the US Naval War College, published key studies on PRC maritime developments. Their July 2009 study, China Goes to Sea, was seminal.”

–Gregory R. Copley, “Focus on PLA(N),” Essential Reading: Important New Strategic Literature, Defense & Foreign Affairs Strategic Policy 4 (2011): 16.

“This book is not just for China experts; it is for all those readers interested in the development of sea power at its most basic – that is, how did a number of states develop and use their navies, why did some keep them and others discard them?”

–Andrew Forbes in The Northern Mariner 20 (2010), 430-31.

“the breadth and quality of the various contributions mean that it has relevance to a much more extensive readership than the dedicated follower of Chinese naval strategy. … A particularly interesting chapter contributed by Messrs Erickson and Goldstein analyses the findings of the Chinese government’s own recent study entitled The Rise of Great Powers. … many strands are drawn together in Carnes Lord’s concluding chapter. This provides both a clear summing up of the many hurdles land-based powers face when they embark on a maritime transformation, and a well-reasoned assessment of the point China has reached in its own voyage to the sea.”

–Conrad Waters, author, Seaforth World Naval Review 2012; in “Naval Books of the Year,” John Jordan and Stephen Dent, eds., Warship 2011 (Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, June 2011), 184-85.

“China Goes to Sea is to be welcomed for all the right scholarly reasons and its contributors are to be congratulated for shedding further light on the fascinating yet manifestly unfinished story of China’s maritime transformation.”

–Malcolm H. Murfett, National University of Singapore, International Journal of Maritime History, Vol. 22, No. 1 (June 2010), pp. 384-86.

“The excellent idea behind this collection is the historical comparison of how other powers in other times have made the transition from land to sea power. … In addition to its portraits and perceptions of Chinese naval expansion, the book has fine introductions to more obscure topics, such as the Ottomans. …Especially for policy makers. Summing up: Highly recommended. Most levels/libraries.”

–R. Higham, emeritus, Kansas State University, Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, Vol. 47, No. 9 (May 2010).

“…important not only for those working in naval studies and for sinologists, but also for scholars concerned with the idea of strategic culture and its application.”

–Jeremy Black, University of Exeter, Naval War College Review, Vol. 63, No. 3 (Summer 2010), pp. 156-57.

“This is a vital book that ought to be read by all the world’s political leaders and their advisors, senior military personnel and pro-active business people. Not only does it, as it claims, put China’s maritime transformation into historical perspective, it puts almost all maritime commerce into historical perspective. In analysing China’s current situation, it provides a brilliant overview of global commercial history.”

–Ships and Shipping (March 2010), p. 37.

“…The last two parts of the book look just at China. They consist of three particularly stimulating chapters which look at the rise and fall of Chinese seapower in the past and four which explore possible trajectories into the future. What emerges is a picture of the Chinese pragmatically transforming themselves (back?) into a sea-faring nation …an excellent book which sparks ideas about a lot more than ‘just’ the maritime transformation of China.”

–Anonymous reviewer, 10 February 2010.

“The third book in the Studies in Chinese Maritime Development series, this volume includes maps and essays on the nation’s seagoing endeavors from ancient times to the present.”

–Katherine Duke, “Short Takes,” Amherst Magazine, Winter 2010.

“Placing China’s efforts to expand its maritime power in historical context, the authors contend that the country may finally be on the verge of transforming itself from a strictly continental to a maritime power.”

–Survival, Vol. 52, No. 1 (February-March 2010), p. 229.

“compares historical examples dating from the Persian Empire’s maritime transformation in 550-490 BC to China’s ongoing metamorphosis, expertly addressing the factors influencing China’s turn to the sea. … This volume includes excellent work… highlighting a number of ways in which China appears to be deviating from the path historical precedence would seem to dictate. …evidence that China’s path may not replicate historical examples is offered by Erickson and Goldstein, who provide an excellent overview of how Beijing has studied the rise of great powers in hopes of emulating successes and avoiding pitfalls. Carnes Lord reviews the factors that led to failed maritime transformations and finds no compelling reason that China’s turn to the sea will fail. Instead, he finds a country that has accurately identified its geostrategic vulnerability to seaward attack and has adjusted its maritime policies to these changing security requirements. Lord’s only question is the pace and degree of China’s maritime transformation.”

–Scott W. Bray (the U.S. Navy’s Senior Intelligence Officer for China), “Turning to the Sea… This Time to Stay,” Book Review Essay, Asia Policy, No. 9 (January 2010), pp. 167-72.

“should be required reading for anyone interested in either China or, more broadly, maritime strategy. … Whether China is able to achieve what few nations in the past have done and transform itself from a continentalist past to a maritime future is an issue that will continue to be addressed for years to come. … This book is an extremely valuable contribution to that debate.”

–Capt. Gordon Andrew, RAN, Australian Defence Force Journal (Issue No. 180, 2009), pp. 85-86.

“Comprising a collection of essays from 17 clear headed and far sighted scholars it succinctly analyses present day China and its position in the maritime world, indeed in the whole world. This is one of those rare books that delivers vastly more than it promises. A fine piece of literary jewellery full of smaller gems.”

–Baird Maritime, 10 August 2009.

“…an impressive study with a sophisticated and comparative approach, a worthy addition to any library. It is an informative read that will please history-buffs and political-wonks alike.”

–Xinhui, China Defense Blog, 4 August 2009.

ENGLISH & JAPANESE SUMMARIES OF BOOK:

Japanese language summary translation now available: “書籍3: 中国のエネルギー戦略–北京の海洋政策への影響.”

Coauthor, “Introduction,” pp. xi-xix; with Gabriel Collins, of “Chinese Efforts to Create a National Tanker Fleet,” 81-114; and, with Lyle Goldstein and Gabriel Collins, of “Chinese Naval Analysts Consider the Energy Question,” 299-335.

SAMPLE CHAPTER: Dan Blumenthal, “Concerns with Respect to China’s Energy Policy,” 418-36.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

China’s rapid growth has prompted Beijing to undertake an aggressive search for resources on a truly global scale. The resource most directly tied to continued growth in China is energy. Rising consumer appetites in China, coupled with occasional rolling blackouts due to spiraling demand in Chinese cities, have prompted intense anxieties in China concerning energy security. Since 80 percent of Chinese fossil fuel imports pass by ship through the Malacca Strait, an important component of Beijing’s concerns have come to be known in China as the “Malacca Dilemma.” This book draws on America’s finest experts in the fields of economics, energy, China studies, and naval strategy in order to explore China’s “Malacca Dilemma” and its implications for global maritime security. The essays in this volume draw from a wide variety of viewpoints, but a central theme of the analyses is that the United States needs to be concerned that China is drawing upon much of the world’s remaining oil reserves for its exclusive use. The resulting competition for this diminishing resource could lead to energy insecurity and may support other tendencies toward rivalry that in turn could foster a naval arms race neither side seeks. One of the major conclusions of this study is that there is, in fact, ample room for Sino-American energy dialogue and cooperation in the maritime domain and that the competition for limited energy sources like oil need not lead to conflict.

BLURBS

“This book is a comprehensive assessment of China’s overall and maritime energy security strategies; as important, it provides clear and detailed guides to judge the nature of future Chinese naval developments and overall Chinese security strategy.”

–Admiral Dennis Blair, U.S. Navy (Ret.), former Commander, U.S. Pacific Command

“…a necessary read for anyone interested in the future of the People’s Republic of China’s energy development and its strategic implications for the U.S., with particular attention to maritime development in both countries. The book tackles the prospects for China’s energy development in a remarkably comprehensive, nuanced fashion. It evaluates Chinese perspectives and prospects, analyzes the PRC’s capabilities in each relevant global region, and dissects the PLA Navy’s capabilities with respect to energy security issues. The authors, including those writing for the final section, which analyzes the implications for U.S. policy, carefully identify inevitable uncertainties and analytical disagreements. On balance, the book stresses the room for U.S.-China energy cooperation in the maritime domain. Importantly, it provides the rich array of data and analysis necessary for readers to develop their own deeply informed perspectives on this issue.”

–Dr. Kenneth Lieberthal, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Political Science, University of Michigan and former Senior Director for Asia on the National Security Council

“Comprehensive, diverse and essential for national security professionals… a subject we must understand clearly for our Asia-Pacific future.”

–Admiral Thomas B. Fargo, U.S. Navy (Ret.), former Commander, U.S. Pacific Command

REVIEWS

“The China Maritime Studies Institute… is fast becoming a center of excellence for research on all aspects of the Chinese navy. … all the contributions are excellent… The beauty of this book comes in different forms. As the editors indicate in their introduction, the contributors do not always agree. … Important statistics are also provided. …provides the latest scholarship. Further enhancing the book’s value is that the contributors are all actively involved in shaping this multifaceted debate in their respective institutions. … This reviewer could not exaggerate the importance of this book in understanding the issues shaping the development of the Chinese navy.”

–Richard Desjardins (Canadian civil servant), Joint Force Quarterly, issue 57, second quarter (2010): 132-33.

“[the authors] have described the drivers of China’s quest for a limited power projection capability—and they did so well before Beijing’s December 2008 decision to deploy a series of task groups to the Gulf of Aden in order to protect shipping from an onslaught of pirate attacks. … This volume makes the case that Beijing’s desire to ensure steady and secure access to the energy resources required to continue the momentum of China’s economic growth will ‘compel the PLAN [People’s Liberation Army Navy] to be used increasingly in nonconflict situations in a wider variety of regions.’ The PLAN’s actions today certainly support this argument; Beijing’s naval task groups in the Gulf of Aden are operating thousands of miles from China to protect merchant shipping, much of which is transporting oil. … details how important maritime commerce is to China’s continued economic development.”

–Scott W. Bray (the U.S. Navy’s Senior Intelligence Officer for China), “Turning to the Sea… This Time to Stay,” Book Review Essay, Asia Policy, No. 9 (January 2010): 167-72.

“…it is a relief to read a mass of carefully considered common sense such as is contained in this fine book. It is refreshing to be reminded that so many of America’s military, especially naval, intellectuals can be so clear headed and rational. …Defence planners and warriors who are currently or likely to be involved in the Indo-Pacific regions should study this book very carefully.”

–Ships & Shipping (July 2009): 38.

“…the book is superb, rich in information and subtle analysis, and should be of interest to all students of geopolitics.”

–Arthur Waldron, Pacific Affairs, Vol. 82, No. 2 (Summer 2009): 328-30.

“The importance of the energy factor in politics today can hardly be called into question. … How much does… energy affect… military doctrine? How does the energy vulnerability of the state influence the modernization of the army? As far as China is concerned, these questions are answered at the beginning of the complex research by Gabriel Collins, Andrew Erickson, Lyle Goldstein, and William Murray…. This approach makes the book… exciting reading and gives a lot of food for thought and discussion. The authors are fellows of the U.S. Naval [War] College and are famous for their studies on various aspects of China’s energy strategy, including its impact on [the] maritime strategy of the country.”

–Yevgeny Petelin, “Energy at the Edge of War and Peace,” Security Index 87.15 (Spring 2009): 147-49.

“The editors achieve their task of examining China’s energy security and naval modernization and their impact on Sino-American relations. …this book is highly recommended.”

–Andrew Forbes, International Journal of Maritime History (December 2008): 478-79.

“…this is an invaluable book for anyone wanting to understand China’s economy in general and its maritime strategy in particular.”

–David N. Griffiths, Canadian Naval Review, Vol. 4, No. 3 (Fall 2008): 42-43.

Japanese summary translation now available: “書籍1: 将来の中国原子力潜水艦部隊.”

Coauthor, “Introduction,” pp. ix-xvi; with Lyle Goldstein, of “China’s Future Nuclear Submarine Force: Insights from Chinese Writings,” pp. 182-211; and, with Andrew Wilson, of “China’s Aircraft Carrier Dilemma,” pp. 229-269.

These and several other chapters are required reading for the Naval War College Strategy and Policy Department’s Senior and Intermediate Leadership Courses.

Volume cited in Wikipedia’s “Type 094 Submarine” entry.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The trajectory of Chinese nuclear propulsion for submarines may be one of the best single indicators of whether or not China intends to become a genuine global military power. Nuclear submarines, with their unparalleled survivability, remain ideal platforms for persistent operations in far-flung sea areas and offer an efficient means for China to strengthen deterrence and project power.

This collection of essays presents the latest thinking of leading experts on the emergence of a modern nuclear submarine fleet in China. Each contribution is packed with authoritative data and cogent analysis. The book has been compiled by four professors at the U.S. Naval War College who are co-founders of the college’s China Maritime Studies Institute (CMSI).

Given the opaque nature of China’s undersea warfare development, readers will benefit from this penetrating investigation that considers the potential impact of revolutionary changes in Chinese nuclear submarine capabilities. This book is essential reading for everyone interested in China’s foreign and defense policies; in the future of the U.S. Navy; and in the defense of the United States.

BLURBS

“Unknowns about China’s Navy, especially its nuclear submarines, perplex our security planners. China’s Future Nuclear Submarine Force presents the most accurate information–and the most savvy analysis–available. This thoughtful compendium is vital to any serious discussion of the PLA Navy.”

–Adm. Joseph W. Prueher, USN (Ret.), Former Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Command and Ambassador to China

“China’s undersea fleet has been sharply focused on coastal defense and sea denial, largely in connection with Taiwan contingencies. With this role now assigned to a fleet of increasingly formidable diesel submarines, China’s growing nuclear submarine fleet may be about to move beyond symbolism and experimentation to take on strategic missions farther from Chinese shores. This exceptionally fine compendium of essays by scholars and practitioners of submarine warfare brings together in one place most of what we know and don’t know about China’s nuclear submarine programs and doctrines. By comparing and contrasting the experiences of the U.S. and Soviet navies, the authors offer informed speculation about the possible roles of both nuclear attack and ballistic missile submarines in the rapidly modernizing People’s Liberation Army Navy, and discuss the implications of differing scenarios for U.S. strategy and force structure. The result is a benchmark study that will both fascinate and inform anyone concerned with the future uses of sea power and the evolution of maritime strategy.”

–Amb. Chas. W. Freeman Jr., Chairman, Projects International, Inc.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Assistant Secretary of Defense
Chinese interpreter for President Richard M. Nixon

REVIEWS

“shows how the Chinese nuclear navy has developed to date and possible future trajectories it could take. … The texts are well sourced and provide readers with references to conduct more extensive research and reading if desired. In summary, any student of Chinese military developments should read this book.”

–Capt. Giles Van Nederveen, USAF (Ret.), Strategic Studies Quarterly, Vol. 4, No. 1 (Spring 2010).

“captures important aspects of China’s submarine force that explain the rationale for Beijing’s large submarine investment, beginning by recounting its maritime goals and doctrine, then examining the applicability of a submarine force to these goals. …raises many important issues that influence the future of China’s nuclear submarine force….”

–Scott W. Bray (the U.S. Navy’s Senior Intelligence Officer for China), “Turning to the Sea… This Time to Stay,” Book Review Essay, Asia Policy, No. 9 (January 2010): 167-72.

“…offers a wide range of perspectives that provide readers with the opportunity to make their own judgments based on a meticulous analysis of data from Chinese sources. … a great and useful effort to understand Chinese strategic planning for the near future.”

– L. H. Xavier Demián Soto Zuppa, El Colegio de México, A.C., Centro de Estudios de Asia y África (CEAA), China Review International, 16.4 (2009): 494-501.

“…provides both novices and experienced scholars an extensive primer on the context of the Chinese nuclear submarine fleet. It is quite readable, well organized, and extremely well documented in all chapters.”

–Lt. Col. John D. Becker, USA, Joint Force Quarterly, Vol. 52, No. 1 (2009): 165-66.

“…creative use of Chinese sources has allowed [the authors] to penetrate the veil of secrecy drawn over China’s submarine programme with surprising effectiveness.”

–Colin Green, Pacific Affairs, Vol. 81, No. 1 (Spring 2008): 111-13.

“…features contributions by some of America’s most prominent (and promising) analysts of PRC naval affairs.”

–Alan Wachman, Naval War College Review, Vol. 61, No. 2 (Spring 2008): 134.

“…offers the most comprehensive open-source analysis yet made public of the transformation of the PLAN and the central role that submarines are likely to play in the years ahead. …has already become the benchmark unclassified study on the development of the PLAN’s sub-surface combat capability.”

–Richard Scott, “China’s Submarine Force Awaits a Cultural Revolution,” Jane’s Navy International, 1 January 2008.

“…if a book such as China’s Future Nuclear Submarine Force had appeared in 1930 on the subject of Japanese developments in naval air power and force projection, the U.S. ‘battleship admirals’ may have been overruled by the carrier advocates in the critical period leading up to the Pearl Harbor attack of December 7, 1941. This new book… is that good.”

–Gregory R. Copley, “The Pacific Turns a Pinker Hue,” Maritime Studies, Issue 156 (September/October 2007): 24-25.

“Reading this excellent volume should waken many of us in the U.S. Navy to remain vigilant and always explore the totality of assets a potential adversary may have, even though they maybe technologically inferior to our own.”

–LCDR Youssef Aboul-Enein, USN, Naval District Washington, DC, 10 May 2007.