China won't follow Western powers' old path in maritime exploration (2)

The fourth misconception is that in order to become a maritime power, China should either join the "blue enclosure movement" or spread Chinese culture. Certain scholars think so, and their ideas seem to be correct according to the current situation.

The lack of maritime civilization is the root cause of China's passive situation in the new round of "blue enclosure movement." Awakening the oceanic genes that have been asleep for 500 years is not enough to build China into a maritime power

The fifth misconception is that the ultimate objective of China's maritime strategy is to build a "maritime China." Maritime exploration is not a goal but a means, and the biggest challenge facing China is civilization transformation rather than maritime civilization creation. The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is not reverting to old ways, but transforming from a continental civilization into a continental and maritime civilization. As an agricultural civilization, how can China develop into a maritime power and avoid the traps of European maritime civilizations in this process?

The fundamental objective of China's maritime strategy is not to restore the same glory Zheng He enjoyed in the Ming dynasty, but to create a "global China" and establish its status as a world leader. Undertaking the dual missions of civilization rejuvenation and transformation, China must develop by leaps and bounds, and avoid falling into the traps of blind imitation and unrealistic expectations.

Read the Chinese version:中国海洋强国梦不走西方老路; Source: People's Daily Overseas Edition; Author:Wang Yiwei