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Title The Rise of China- Energy Security and International Ambition: How China's engagement in Africa and navy modernisation efforts are motivated by energy security concerns and domestic political desires for international influence.
Full text http://hdl.handle.net/1885/14976
Date 2012
Author(s) Wagener, Sarah
Abstract China's rapid development over the last few decades could almost be described as an 'economic miracle'. However, the trajectory of its economic development has also led to rising demand for energy resources, particularly oil. This has created significant problems for China- specifically, a reliance on imported oil, which is only going to increase. Thus, the Chinese government has turned to investing in Africa's vast, untapped resources in order to diversifY and secure its oil supplies. As these resources will need to be transported via critical sea lines of communication, China has turned its interests to developing an energy security strategy that will enable China's growth to continue, Simultaneously, it has been pursuing a program of naval modernisation, and is in the process of transforming it into a 'blue-water' navy. Together, these developments have attracted some international criticism that China is a military and economic threat that will ultimately destabilise the region. However, both China's investment strategies in Africa and navy modernisation efforts are motivated by energy security concerns and domestic political desires for increased international influence. The Chinese government seems to have staked their legitimacy on improving living standards for their people, and as China faces considerable domestic development challenges, maintaining a stable and peaceful international environment is absolutely integral to its national interests. China's engagement in Africa is dominated by resource extraction activities, as part of its energy security strategy to ensure China's development continues unimpeded, but is also a product of the changes in its foreign policy making and its desire to have a greater role in the international system. China's historical and political narratives are crucial to understanding its international engagement, and the discourse that China suffered a 'Century of Humiliation' at the hands of colonialist powers continues to influence contemporary China, driving its desire to establish a capable navy to 'erase' the legacy of national humiliation. China's navy modernisation efforts are principally to defend China's sea lines of communication from both traditional and non-traditional security threats, although some have suggested that it is expanding influence in the Indian Ocean. However, China's growing maritime cooperation in multilateral and bilateral suggests that it will tread carefully to avoid triggering international hostility, which is not in China's development interests. Finally, while the future cannot be predicted, it seems likely that the 'China threat' thesis will continue to promulgate suspicion of China's motives, while China's hedging strategy will ensure it continues to modernise its navy while presenting a benign image to the world. However, as some theorise, China's gradual 'socialisation' into global institutions, norms, and rules may ensure it becomes a cooperative member of the international community. Certainly its current involvement in maritime cooperation with other nations may indicate that China will be a 'golden opportunity' for cooperation and further global prosperity. However, the only thing for certain is that China is now becoming an central player in the international system and will be for some years to come.
Subject(s) Sea Power Centre Australia; rise of China; energy security; international ambition; Africa; navy modernisation; Indian Ocean
Type of publication Report
Rights Copyright the author/s
Repository Canberra - Australian National University
Added to C-A: 2015-09-07;13:48:24