Mahanian Thinking: Rising Navalism of China in the Indo-Pacific Region

Abstract

As China has grown economically, so has its military power developed and by design. China has invested heavily in the Navy and shipping industries along with related infrastructure around its neighbourhood and beyond. China’s immediate concerns were the sea routes in the Indo-Pacific region, which they started dominating by buying shares in seaports and investing in shipping infrastructure in coastal cities, which is projecting a soft image but according to speculation, it can be quickly upgraded to carry out any military mission. The study is taking qualitative and quantitative data. The study also highlights the Chinese naval expansion and its comparison with leading navies of the world. The research in this paper is carried out by keeping in view the impact of Alfred Thayer Mahan’s theories on Chinese strategists in the context of China’s increasing Navalism in the Indo-Pacific region.