DON’T KNOCK YOURSELF OUT: HOW AMERICA CAN TURN THE TABLES ON CHINA BY GIVING UP THE FIGHT FOR COMMAND OF THE SEAS

 

Editors note: This essay is the second in a series of eight articles, “Maritime Strategy on the Rocks,” that examines different aspects and implications of the recently released tri-service maritime strategy, Advantage at Sea: Prevailing with Integrated All-Domain Naval Power. Be sure to read the first, third, and fourth essays in the series. We thank Prof. Jon Caverley of the U.S. Naval War College for his assistance in coordinating this series.

The United States should give up its quest for command of the maritime commons in the Western Pacific. The struggle is based on a false premise — that if the United States loses command of the seas, China will step in the fill the vacuum. In fact, even if the United States loses command of the maritime commons, China is not positioned to gain it. However, by positioning China as an existential threat, the United States is boxing itself in politically. The United States courts disaster when it overextends itself by seeking military primacy in the region. There is one fundamental reason: the tyranny of distance. 

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