A series of recent studies by prominent research and national security organizations warn of an impending national security threat in the form of Chinese maritime dominance, and the very intentional strategic use of maritime as the centerpiece of the strategy of China to achieve global power.
This drumbeat of prominent and respected research and national security voices, combined with a series of congressional hearings on the subject, points to a problem that will require a holistic policy approach by all stakeholders to ensure a robust U.S. maritime industry that is capable of supporting the security needs of our nation.
Short summaries of the recent reports are as follows:
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- February 2020 — The Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA) released a study titled “Strengthening the U.S. Defense Maritime Industrial Base: A Plan to Improve Maritime Industry’s Contribution to National Security” in which it strongly urged that the United States break from previous practices of considering commercial and national security strategies for the maritime industry, and instead adopt a comprehensive strategy in the face of a growing Chinese maritime power to ensure that the nation has a strong commercial industry to support national security needs.
