Red Sea Waters and Great Power Competition

As part of his Digital Maritime Security Series, NESA Manager of Academic Affairs, Mr. Jeffrey Payne, hosted and moderated a virtual roundtable on June 03 on Red Sea Waters: Great Power Competition Beyond the Indo-Pacific. Discussants included Mr. Zach Vertin of the Brookings Institution; Dr. Joel Wuthnow of the Center for the Study of Chinese Military Affairs at the National Defense University; and Dr. Patricia Kim of the United States Institute for Peace (USIP).

Background: The Red Sea is gaining attention among security specialists due to increased activity of regional and non-regional powers along its littoral zones. Regardless of one’s perspective, there is not denying that Great Power Competition is a component of Red Sea regional security. The mistake that many make is to either ignore this competition to avoid regional sensitivities, or to put regional dynamics into the Greater Power Competition box. This conversation, featuring three prominent experts on both the Red Sea and China’s ambitions in the Red Sea Region, focuses on what China’s presence in the Red Sea means for regional actors, how China views this geostrategic point, and how the United States should interpret Chinese regional aspirations.

The views presented herein are those of the speakers alone and do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of Defense, the NESA Center, or any United States government components.