Mr Paul Chamberlain1
1Australian National University, Acton, Australia
Biography:
Mr. Paul Chamberlain is a PhD candidate at the Australian National University, in the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre and Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs. He is on sabbatical from the Strategic Defence Policy group at the Department of National Defence, Canada. He worked for the Canadian government for fifteen years in a variety of Defence, Security, and Intelligence positions, such as the first civilian Policy Advisor (POLAD) to the Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and in the Directorate of Indo-Pacific Policy as lead for Canada’s Defence relations with states in Southeast Asia and ASEAN.
Abstract:
This paper analyses the question of how non-great power states in contemporary East Asia use sea power as an instrument of statecraft. It is argued the concept of sea power is viewed predominantly through a material power, colonial, and hegemonic lens, while often confined to anachronistic ‘gunboat diplomacy’ or ritualistic ‘naval diplomacy’ assumptions. The concept of ‘sea power statecraft’ is introduced meaning the strategic use of navies by states; the constellation of naval operations and activities that seeks or has purposeful political and diplomatic effect. This is particularly relevant in East Asia since it is at the pivot of the international system and a fundamentally maritime strategic environment. While the role of sea power as a foreign policy tool appears an intrinsically understood aspect of the international system, it is comparatively under-studied in academic literature. As armed maritime forces, navies offer the ability to operate along a spectrum of soft and hard power, with historical, cultural, and legal legitimacy. Navies, as institutions, give a sophisticated instrument of diplomatic effect. Through an innovative theoretical framework that integrates sea power theory and complex systems thinking, the paper conceptualizes sea power as agentic statecraft. It uses contemporary Australia, Japan, and Singapore as regional case studies to illustrate how navies are used to build relations, establish narratives, communicate intent, and shape the regional strategic order. In doing so, it develops a novel typology of sea power that links discourse and practice.