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Start giftingChina as a Twenty-First-Century Naval Power
This audiobook uses AI narration.
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Learn moreXi Jinping has made his ambitions for the People's Liberation Army (PLA) perfectly clear, first, that China should become a "great maritime power" and secondly, that the PLA "become a world-class armed force by 2050." China as a Twenty-First-Century Naval Power focuses on China's navy and how it is being transformed to satisfy the "world class" goal.
Beginning with an exploration of why China is seeking to become such a major maritime power, author Michael McDevitt first explores the strategic rationale behind Xi's two objectives. McDevitt dubs this China's "sea lane anxiety" and traces how this has required the PLA Navy to evolve from a "near seas"-focused navy to one that has global reach; a "blue water navy." The more than ten years of anti-piracy patrols in the far reaches of the Indian Ocean has acted as a learning curve accelerator to "blue water" status.
McDevitt then explores the PLA Navy's role in the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean. He provides a detailed assessment of what the PLAN will be expected to do if Beijing chooses to attack Taiwan potentially triggering combat with America's "first responders" in East Asia. This book concludes with a forecast of what Xi's vision of a "world-class navy" might look like in the next fifteen years when the 2035 deadline is reached.
During his thirty-four-year Navy career, Rear Admiral Michael McDevitt, USN (Ret.) had four at sea commands, including an aircraft carrier battle group. He was a Pacific Ocean sailor with experience in all the waters he has written about. He began a thirty-year involvement with U.S. security policy and strategy in Asia when he was assigned to the Office of Secretary of Defense in 1990 as director and then as acting deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia. This professional interest continues to this day.
Ian Putnam has many years of experience working in the arts as a teacher, actor, writer, painter, singer, and musician. He is passionate about books in general, including reading for pleasure and research, and especially narrating audiobooks. Ian has over twelve years of middle and high school teaching experience in the arts, and worked professionally as a performer in Los Angeles for seven years. He has played in several bands and recorded three albums, with musical interests including jazz, classical, rock, and musical theater. He currently leads his jazz band as its singer and enjoys playing classical piano and spending lots of meaningful time with his wife, daughter, and pets in Santa Barbara.