Introducing maritime security: The sea as a geostrategic space

The seas have more recently come into the view of states, beyond those that have traditionally held sea power, to be seen as a new frontier for economic development. At its most basic level of reasoning, therefore, there can be seen to be an incentive for states to provide security in their territorial waters, but also to contribute to good order on the high seas. Beyond this, however, it is evident that the sea is also of importance to states as they have traditionally used their access to the sea and ability to traverse its waters as a means to expand their empires and spheres of influence. Thus, economics, politics, security, and strategic interests merge at sea, and much as maritime security has, in practice, a history spanning hundreds of years, these interconnected interests have only more recently spawned the nascent discipline of maritime security. This chapter considers the emergence of Maritime Security, its history, and its relevance as a field of study by locating the seas as a geostrategic space, and drawing on China’s String of Pearls as an illustrative case study. The discussion in this chapter lays the foundation for the chapters that follow.