Alcir S. answered • 05/17/20
Graduate Level Tutor Specialized in Politics / International Relations
Alfred Thayer Mahan, author of the book “The Influence of Sea Power upon History”, introduced a revolutionary concept in international relations theory called the Sea Power Theory. He proposed that greater control of the sea would allow for a greater level of influence and exercise more control on global trade, international diplomacy, and exerting military power. For example, if a country controls and holds claim to insignificant territories in the ocean, 13.8 miles of territorial sea from the mainland is defined as national territory under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. This will allow that country to extract natural resources, use that land as a military forward base of operations, and introduce new shipping routes. Just as Mahan proposed that this was the reason that led the emergence of Britain as a global powerhouse, the same can be said about China. International relations scholars and practitioners worry about the Chinese expansion of territory through the creation of artificial islands in efforts to expand their claims, advance their military power, and influence the dynamics of Asian politics. This has worried the United States, the current dominant power of the seas. If China continues to expand its naval powers and advance territorial claims, it would threaten American supremacy of the seas. If you have any questions or need any clarification, let me know and I will be more than happy to help! - Alcir
Sources
1) https://history.state.gov/milestones/1866-1898/mahan
2) https://www.un.org/depts/los/convention_agreements/convention_overview_convention.htm
3) https://history.state.gov/milestones/1866-1898/mahan
4) https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/08/19/chinas-south-china-sea-militarization-has-peaked/
