Extending Domestic Governance Over the Seas: China's State Oceanic Administration.

The Project 2049 Institute is pleased to announce the publication of our latest Occasional Paper, "Extending Domestic Governance Over the Seas: China's State Oceanic Administration." In this study, Associate Professor at Kyushu University and Project 2049 contributor Dr. Chisako Masuo examines the People's Republic of China's (PRC) recent maritime expansion efforts and the role of the State Oceanic Administration in asserting sovereignty over contested waters. She writes: 

"In 1982, General Liu Huaqing of China proposed the strategy of 'offshore defense' and drew a line through the Kurile Islands, Japan and the Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan, the Philippines, Borneo, and Natuna Besar. He set the year 2000 as the goal for establishing Chinese control inside this 'First Island Chain.' [...] Taking advantage of American passiveness to intervene in territorial disputes in Asia, China has been trying to expand its area of actual control by extending domestic governance over the seas. Over the last decade, the State Oceanic Administration (SOA) under the State Council, along with its maritime law-enforcement body, has assumed more responsibility in the oceanic administration and developed a clearer division of labor within PLAN." 

Dr. Masuo first examines the differing interpretations of maritime zones between the PRC and other countries, as these distinctions are critical in understanding the nature of and reasoning behind Chinese maritime expansion. She then traces the history of the SOA by examining official Chinese statements and publications. Finally, she focuses on the characteristics of SOA maritime behavior and the SOA's place in Chinese strategy moving forward. 

We hope you enjoy reading this publication, and would warmly welcome your comments and suggestions.