'The Making of the Modern Chinese Navy' includes 14 historical case studies that help to illuminate a number of special characteristics of the modern-day Chinese navy. The Chinese Navy embodies a number of special features that modern-day Chinese naval officers perhaps take for granted, including a belief in the Mandate of Heaven, tributary system, and the fear of 'losing face' either in a diplomatic setting or by risking valuable equipment in battle. Ethnic and language differences, regional loyalties, and political mistrust potentially exacerbate these problems. Special peculiarities include the Mongol dual-officer diarchy that led to the political commissar system utilized by the People's Liberation Army. Outside influences, such as blockade, sanctions, and embargoes, can exert a profound impact on China, just as foreign intervention or, equally important, a decision not to intervene, can often determine the outcome of major maritime events.

Introduction: The Special Characteristics and Peculiarities of China's Maritime History; 1. Battle of B¿ch пng River (938); 2. Battle of Yaishan (1279); 3. Battle of Lake Poyang (1363); 4. Ming-Kotte War in Southeast Asia (1410); 5. Ming Loyalists Flee to Taiwan (1661-83); 6. Battle of Chuanbi (1839); 7. Sino-French War (1883-84); 8. Qing Beiyang Fleet's Defeat in the Battle of the Yellow Sea (1894); 9. Chinese Decision to Sink Nationalist Navy as Blockships (1937); 10. 'Chongqing' Mutiny Allowing the PLA to Cross the Yangzi River (1949); 11. The Taiwan Strait Crises (1954-55 and 1958); 12. China's Decision to Take the Paracel Islands from South Vietnam (1974); 13. Missile Blockade: The Taiwan Strait Crisis (1995-96); 14. The EP-3 Standoff and Diplomatic Resolution (2001); Conclusion: The Influence of History on the Formation of the Modern Chinese Navy; Appendices; Selected Bibliography; Index.