China's Looking Seaward: Zheng He's Voyage in the 21st Century

Abstract

Over the past few decades, China has developed its economic and military power substantially. Due to the expanding power of China, ‘Rising China’ issue has emerged globally. This paper addresses the possibility of a rising China expanding toward sea, and also explores China's strategic intention of becoming a great sea power. China was both a continental power and a sea power in history. Today, China's property as a sea power is conspicuously emerging with its rapid rising, and has made every effort to look seaward especially modernizing and increasing its naval capabilities. Although the historical experience of China's dominant maritime capability such as Zheng He's fleets, China seized going to the sea for some time. However, the geo-strategic factors and the economic growth lead China to look seaward again. The geographical position and geo-strategic circumstances make China to pay more attention on the sea and sea oriented geo-strategy. Chinese Communist Party and People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) leaders are emphasizing and calling for a strong navy, and their efforts toward the sea power will be continued in the 21st century.