Mao Zedong, meet Alfred Thayer Mahan : strategic theory and Chinese sea power /
James Holmes and Toshi Yoshihara
- 2006
China's strategic posture is often described as passive defence for which the Great Wall is a convenient metaphor. It is assumed that the U.S. and its allies will effortlessly dominate the seas close to China. This article argues that is a dangerous assumption; it suggests that China is embarked on naval developments that will enable offensive operations within a strategically defensive framework and that strategists are closely studying the works of Mahan and Mao.