At first glance, the South and East China Seas, or China Seas, and the Caribbean Sea seem to have little in common.
Situated on opposite ends of the Earth, they are what geographers describe as enclosed seas. To a naval strategist, that's shorthand for an environment replete with numerous choke points from which maritime traffic can be interdicted.
Beyond this geostrategic similarity, however, these seas have another common element: the parallels and contrasts with how each region has handled the emergence of new military powers.
China in East Asia
For much of its history, China has been the predominant military power in East Asia. Historically, it was the largest country, had the largest population and the largest economy. All those factors are typically prerequisites for national power -- a fact as true today as it was a millennium ago. The exceptions were periods when China was internally divided, beset by weak governments unable to assert their authority, or dominated by foreign powers.
