Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
In the sphere of modern international politics, few regions have been as hotly contested as Asia, an area that President Trump now defines as the Indo-Pacific. Across the 1.5 million square mile expanse of the South China Sea, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Taiwan claim sovereign waters. China, Vietnam, and Indonesia also lay claim to the trade routes and islands of these waters. Some have deployed their own military garrisons to these remote islands and reefs, creating friction between the countries that has escalated in recent years. But no South China Sea government can take on China alone, and as China gains power in both trade and military outposts, they look to the United States for protection. This American security umbrella stretches across such a large area that the Asia-Pacific is often nicknamed the "American Lake"--and the South China Sea is its inner operational core.
BBC foreign correspondent Humphrey Hawksley has been following these maritime relations--and tensions--throughout East Asia for years. Reporting on decades of political developments, he has witnessed China's rise to become one of the world's most powerful trade entities, elbowing smaller markets out in the process. Drawing on his experience as a veteran journalist, Hawksley delivers in Asian Waters the compelling narrative of one of the most volatile trade regions in the world, and examines the potential outcomes for the region. Can America handle China's rise to power peacefully? Will Japan, the Philippines, South Korea, and Taiwan create a NATO-esque multi-lateral alliance? Why does China think it can even fill the role of trade superpower and how does it plan to achieve this? Asian Waters delves into these topics and more as Hawksley presents the most comprehensive analysis ever of the region.
Synopsis
In the sphere of future global politics, no region will be as hotly contested as the Asia-Pacific, where great power interests collide amid the mistrust of unresolved conflicts and disputed territory. This is where authoritarian China is trying to rewrite international law and challenge the democratic values of the United States and its allies. The lightning rods of conflict are remote reefs and islands from which China has created military bases in the 1.5-million-square-mile expanse of the South China Sea, a crucial world trading route that this rising world power now claims as its own. No other Asian country can take on China alone. They look for protection from the United States, although it, too, may be ill-equipped for the job at hand. If China does get away with seizing and militarizing waters here, what will it do elsewhere in the world, and who will be able to stop it?
In Asian Waters, award-winning foreign correspondent Humphrey Hawksley breaks down the politics--and tensions--that he has followed through this region for years. Reporting on decades of political developments, he has witnessed China's rise to become one of the world's most wealthy and militarized countries, and delivers in Asian Waters the compelling narrative of this most volatile region. Can the United States and China handle the changing balance of power peacefully? Do Japan, the Philippines, South Korea, and Taiwan share enough common purpose to create a NATO-esque multilateral alliance? Does China think it can even become a superpower while making an enemy of America? If so, how does it plan to achieve it? Asian Waters delves into these topics and more as Hawksley presents the most comprehensive and accessible analysis ever of this region.