45

The ocean is the source of great power: from the Spain of Charles V to the United State and passing to the British empire, the principle always proved itself. China is no exception to the rule. Ignored by successive governments over a long period, China now reveals its maritime vocation as a mirror that shows how Beijing perceives itself, its ambitions but also its deficiencies China is attempting to emerge as a major world maritime power, although it can not, so far, claim that title…