Author John Reeve of the working paper number 4 had comprehensively

discussed the historical events and the evolution of strategies in the Asia-Pacific
Region. It discussed the transition of naval power from European countries to the
West and emphasized the emergence of China. Reeve had pointed out that
technological, political and economic are the main factors for a country to impose
national power. The working paper also highlighted the importance of naval power in
order to safeguard one’s country and enforce the country’s interest.

This review explores the naval strategic history of the Asia-Pacific region,
showing a setting of the current and prospective understanding of the regional
developments. The working paper comprises three parts: development of the
region’s strategic character from 1500-1900, continuity and change in the 20th
century, and the current and future issues in the history.

It is true that the Asia-Pacific region is one of the great historical, where many
of people’s greatest stories happened. From civilization, trade, power as well as the
naval strategic history of the Asia-Pacific.

The review gave us an idea of the past, current and future regional
development on how it began in the early of 1500 and until today that Asia-Pacific is
now a center of commerce and might be potential conflict for international rivalry.

Almost covering half of the earth, the Asia-Pacific region had witnessed the
rise and fall of powerful countries in the world. On 1500-1700s, the waters of the
Asia-Pacific region seen the growth of demand for tropical products from Asian
countries to the European market that made Portugal and eventually the Dutch as
empires of sea trade. The Asia-Pacific region was also navigated by the United
Kingdom on the early 1900s and strong handed China by its naval force to acquire
ports and open its market for trade from the strained treaties. More so, Britain utilized
the sea to project its forces in its aim to spread its colonies in some Asia-Pacific
countries. When World War 2 erupted, the Americans and Japanese forces also
employed forces from the sea and conducted amphibious operations for in
conquering some of the Asia countries. From the significant events stated, it is
evident that sea lines of communications (SLOCs) is vital not only as a trade route
but most importantly in imposing one’s strategy.

Being located in the Asia-Pacific region, the Philippines had also been part of
several historical events that can attest the importance of securing the SLOCs. It had
even been invaded by a foreign adversary during the World War using the naval
superiority. Hence, by learning a lesson the hard way, the security committees of the
legislation (Senate, Congress) must prioritize the capability upgrade of the Philippine
Navy (PN) and coastal defense. As stated in the working paper, Navy should be
capable of low and high-intensity operations as the nation requires to secure the
SLOCs especially that most of the trade navigates the sea lanes. It is however
unfortunate that the PN is still limited to some constabulary tasks, humanitarian
assistance and disaster relief (HADR), and anti-insurgency operations.

The Asia-Pacific region was also the battlespace of the United States Navy
(USN) during several wars. Being a superpower, it had extended its commitment to
its allies in Asia, especially against communism, insurgency and presently anti-
terrorism. The US has been involved the Korean War where it supported the South,
Vietnam War when it fought against the communists, and even supported the
Philippines against the Japanese invasion. Several analysts had wrongly assessed
that the United States will leave its interest in the region and focus in West. The
superpower remained the presence in the Asia-Pacific region knowing that it has
interest in the region. Thus, several small power navy benefits from the USN
presence including the Philippines. It had been a benefactor of several aids and
intelligence support especially real-time information by surveillance planes. Several
see it as just a lending hand, but of course, Americans are wise enough to have
tradeoffs in some of the mutual agreements. More so, as what was pointed out in the
working paper, resources especially oil could be, inter alia, a motive for war (Reeve,
2000).

The working paper was written in the year 2000 and it had already forecasted
the rise of China. It had mentioned that China could pose a threat especially in the
South China Sea or what we claim as the West Philippine Sea. It mentioned that
during the time the paper was written, China has still yet to find out how to project
the economy into the military. But presently, it seemed that China had already
figured it out on how to maximize its force and population in order to further boost its
economy and military. Hence, even the United Nations Conference on the Law of the
Sea and international pressure are not even recognized by China after the former’s
ruling was in favor to the Philippines in the territorial dispute in the West Philippine
Sea. It showed how powerful China in terms of its diplomacy, intelligence, military,
and economy. As pointed out in the previous working paper, superpowers will tend
not to be in a war against each other if it can be avoided because even superpowers
resources can also be drained in a conflict.

The review is not far from our situation as what the author elaborated on the
importance of sea on economic, globalization, political and cultural aspects and this
is an eye opener to us of the importance of maritime power where it is timely for us
to give emphasis on the modernization of our Philippine Navy to address the current
issue we are facing today and I believed that if we modernize our forces we can
project sea power as what the history stated that by tracing the history of naval
development in the region the author concludes that the current trend for power
projection from the sea remains highly relevant to the region.
References:

Beins, B.C. (2012). APA Style Simplified: Writing in Psychology, Education, Nursing,
and Sociology. West Sussex, UK: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Hill, R. (2020). Medium Power Strategy Revisited. Canberra, Australia: Royal

Australian Navy Sea Power Centre

Suarez, J. R. (2018). Reflections of an Old Salt (Book 2). Quezon City: Central Book
Supply Inc.