Maritime Order, Naval Balance, and Strategic Competition in the Indo-Pacific: From Pax Americana to Pax Sinica[1]
Musings of Nereus*
[This submission is an update of a paper submitted for the 2010 ‘Rocker’ Robertson Essay Competition which examined whether we are living in a period of Pax Americana]
Introduction
The stability of the international system has long depended on maritime order, sustained by dominant powers through naval supremacy and control of sea lanes. Historical precedents such as Pax Romana and Pax Britannica illustrate how secure seas enabled peace and prosperity. In the modern era, Pax Americana upheld these conditions through U.S. naval predominance.
