China's Naval Power: An Offensive Realist Approach(Corbett Centre for Maritime Policy Studies Series)

The rapid modernization of the Chinese Navy is a well-documented reality of the post-Cold War world. In two decades, the People's Liberation Army Navy has evolved from a backward force composed of obsolete platforms into a reasonably modern fleet whose growth is significantly shaking the naval balance in East Asia. The rationale behind China's contemporary rise at sea remains, however, difficult to grasp and few people have tried to see how the current structure of the international system has shaped Chinese choices. This book makes sense of Chinese priorities in its naval modernization in a 'robust' offensive realist framework. Drawing on Barry Posen's works on sources of military doctrine, it argues that the orientation of Beijing's choices concerning its naval forces can essentially be explained by China's position as a potential regional hegemon. Yves-Heng Lim highlights how a rising state develops naval power to fulfil its security objectives, a theoretical perspective that goes farther than the sole Chinese case.

Table of Contents:
Contents: Foreword, Thomas M. Kane; Introduction; Naval power and the quest for regional hegemony; China’s rise in East Asia: the political context of Beijing’s bid for regional hegemony; The offensive turn of China’s naval strategy and doctrine; The modernization of Chinese naval forces; Taiwan … and beyond; Territorial and maritime issues in the China Seas; The great naval chessboard: sea power and the Chinese quest for hegemony; Conclusion; References; Index.

About the Author :
Yves-Heng Lim, Fujen Catholic University, Taiwan.

Review :
'In this lucid re-evaluation of China's naval modernization and its quest for regional hegemony, Yves-Heng Lim convincingly explores the subject through the offensive realist perspective. Lim combines both theory and Chinese sources to explain unequivocally the larger issues of China's expanding power, regional hegemonic ambitions, geopolitical realities of Asia and the unfolding power transitions between the United States and China. What makes this work unique is that it situates the recent events of South China Sea, East China Sea and the Korean Peninsula in the overall neo-realist perspective and reflects on the possible naval operational disposition of China in tackling these maritime issues.' Srikanth Kondapalli, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India 'In this important and provocative study, Yves-Heng Lim raises troubling questions about the geostrategic rationales behind China's growing naval prowess. Lim's deft use of authoritative and eye-opening Chinese-language sources lends substantial credibility to his sobering assessment. For scholars and strategists looking for an unvarnished interpretation of China's ascent at sea, this is the book they've been waiting for.' Toshi Yoshihara, Naval War College, USA 'Yves-Heng Lim's work has the undeniable merit of illustrating to the reader the profound linkage between the modernization of Chinese armed forces and the scenario of a potential hegemonic war against the U.S., thus challenging a sort of popular wisdom that concerns the avoidability of a military conflict between such highly interdependent actors. Consequently, it is surely recommended to those academics and scholars - already familiar with liberal, constructivist and traditional realist perspectives on China's rise - who seeks a challenging testing ground for a peculiar offensive realist framework of analysis, thanks also to a personal reappraisal made by the author of several classic theoretic assumptions, as for the prominence of naval power in the context of an overt confrontation between a regional potential hegemon and a distant great power.' East Asia Integration Studies 'Lim presents not only a clear argument about how to interpret existing naval capacity and actions in the surrounding Chinese seas but also extrapolates from these empirics the assertion that China is seeking hegemony in the East Asian region. ... China's Naval Power certainly provides food for thought for anyone interested in an interpretation of China's naval modernization and likely trajectories in the future. This topic deserves careful and sustained analysis and attention and Lim's impressive book contributes to this endeavour.' New Zealand Journal of Asian Studies 'China's Naval Power: an offensive realist approach is a surprisingly engaging and interesting analysis of the sources of China's naval modernisation. 'Engaging' because, despite its foundation in international relations theory, the book does not read as a dry academic treatise. Rather, it provides an easy-to-follow and contextualised overview of different international relations theories and their relevance to understanding China's rise. 'Interesting' because Yves-Heng Lim's analysis draws on the political and strategic writings of Chinese officials and theorists, thereby providing an insight into the indigenous sources of Chinese naval development and innovation. Accordingly, it is a useful addition to any China watcher's library. ... highly recommended to the political scientist, military strategist and even the general reader interested in understanding the future of China's naval modernisation.' Australian Defence Force Journal 'At a time when the People's Republic of China (PRC) is perceived as increasingly aggressive and committed to strengthening its control over nearby territories, Yves-Heng Lim's brilliant analysis of its contemporary maritime strategy proves particularly useful in decoding hidden meanings and implications of some of Beijing's declarations and moves. Combining a solid theoretical background on hegemony in international relations with a broad empirical research focus on Chinese sources, Lim's work offers an original interpretation of the writings of PRC scholars and officials.' International Spectator