The Chinese would well understand the following summary statement in a report by Stratfor Today (Aug. 5, 2008). It said: "The geographic position of the United States, situated comfortably between the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans, is a critical dynamic in its fundamental security, and U.S. naval dominance in the world's oceans is a key dynamic of the international system."

A recent feature article in the September 2008 issue of Le Monde diplomatique stated: "Five hundred years ago the obvious contender for dominance of the world's oceans was the Chinese imperial exploration fleet, which was technologically centuries ahead of all its rivals. But the emperor decided to turn the nation's back on the sea. The Chinese will not make the same mistake twice."

China is now the world's second-largest oil importer. It seeks to protect its energy corridors by sea. It seeks free access to vast areas of Southeast Asian sea lanes far beyond the Indochinese peninsula. In short the Chinese want "a second chance at command of the oceans" (ibid.).

The U.S. Seventh Fleet is worried by Chinese naval challenges. According to Le Monde diplomatique, "The Chinese fleet is reported to have five fast-attack nuclear powered submarines (SSNs) and one ballistic submarine (SLBN) reputed to carry between 12 and 16 nuclear missiles with a range of 3,500 km. It has 30 diesel-electric submarines and more than 20 other submersibles are under construction."

The Seventh Fleet fears that the Chinese submarine fleet will be in a position to challenge or even exceed the number of U.S. ships in the Pacific Ocean as early as the year 2020. While it is currently far from matching or surpassing U.S. naval power, China has a much longer history and the historic patience to pursue a long-term strategy with the view to eventually surpassing American dominance of the sea. (Sources: Stratfor Today, Le Monde diplomatique.)