Marc Levinson
Imagine a country where the maritime industry is an ancient tradition. Its long coastline shelters many harbours. Its citizens own a larger share of the world’s commercial fleet than those of any other country. Its financial institutions have a prominent role in ship financing, and its labour force includes an unequaled percentage of seafarers. It has long been a maritime power – yet it has little influence over military alliances, trade agreements, or the direction of the world economy. When it comes to geopolitics, its maritime prowess does not make Greece a major player.
This is worth keeping in mind amid the intensifying friction over maritime matters between the United States, its European and Asian allies, and China. President Donald Trump’s administration, like that of Joe Biden before it, has identified China’s expansive maritime presence as a threat to US security; the title of an executive order Trump signed last April, ‘Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance‘, makes that clear. China, meanwhile, continues to expand in almost every aspect of ocean shipping. Both governments deem the maritime industry and its supplier base essential if they are to project power and maintain prosperity. But if large shipping and shipbuilding industries were basic elements of global influence, countries such as Greece would be global powers. ‘Maritime dominance’, however that phrase may be defined, does not offer a path to peace or prosperity, military clout or economic strength. The very phrase is a relic of an earlier era.
No comments:
Post a Comment