Dragon at Sea: China's Navy in Strategy and Diplomacy

The prospects for Sino-U.S. naval relations from a strategic perspective are examined. The status of China's navy as a fighting force and efforts to modernize that force are reviewed. The paper also looks at China's navy in regional security issues affecting Southeast Asia, Taiwan, and the Indian Ocean. Finally, in discussing Sino-U.S. naval relations specifically, the paper concludes that some cooperation between the U.S. and Chinese navies seems to be in the interest of 'peace and stability' in the Pacific. Whether the U.S. and China can surmount their differences to achieve some limited military (including naval) relationship remains an open question.