“The Grand Island” and China’s Strategy: The Influence of Geopolitical Theories on International Relations

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to analyze, in light of the People’s Republic of China’s strategy, the traditionally established dichotomy in geopolitics between land power and sea power through an innovative approach. For more than a century, numerous theories related to this issue have been the subject of intense debate. Among them, it can be argued that the confrontation between Halford Mackinder’s “Heartland” theory and Alfred Thayer Mahan’s “Sea Power” theory has fundamentally shaped the field of geopolitics, underscoring the importance of this opposition. However, the balanced development of both maritime and continental elements by contemporary China appears to call into question the necessity of this traditional antagonism. Therefore, to conduct a deeper analysis of China’s maritime and land power dimensions, this paper introduces a new concept, the “Great Island,” as a counterpoint to the classical dichotomy. The “Great Island” concept allows for the synthesis of these elements and provides a basis for their comprehensive examination.