A Storm and a Struggle for the Sea

ASCF REPORT, September 8, 2020

If there’s a silver lining to the terrible storm unleashed by the Pandemic of 2020, it’s that COVID19 has exposed the PRC’s nature, vision and reach. Like a midnight flash of lightning, what was unseen or ignored by so many for so long has been laid bare: The PRC is an ends-justify-the-means regime that has contempt for international norms of behavior. This worldview informs every aspect of PRC decisionmaking—from its hoarding of humanitarian supplies and jailing of doctors, to its designs on dominating international sealanes and controlling strategically located ports. In this issue, we explore Beijing’s assault on international sealanes…