Chinese warships off Alaska and Cambodia highlight the role of near and far waters in sea power dominance
Colin Flint does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Chinese warships were recently spotted sailing close to the Aleutian Islands, just off the Alaskan coast. Meanwhile, naval boats have begun to dock at a Beijing-built military port in Cambodia.
While these two events took place on different sides of the globe, they’re both part of an important geopolitical development – one that may lead to global war.
That may seem a little alarmist. But as I explain in my book “Near and Far Waters: The Geopolitics of Seapower,” the dynamics playing out today as China seeks to surpass the U.S. as the world’s major sea power are reflected in the past – and have led to some of the world’s most consequential conflicts.
To understand the geopolitics of sea power, you need to understand two terms: “near waters” and “far waters.” Near waters are areas close to a country’s shoreline that are seen as important for its defense. Far waters are areas across the ocean that a country wants to be present in for economic and strategic interests.
