Smart Power vs Sharp Power Political Warfare In The Second Island Chain

Culligan, Michael T.; Burris (December 2019). Smart Power vs Sharp Power Political Warfare In The Second Island Chain (Thesis). Monterey, CA: Naval Post Graduate School.CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)

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Abstract: This study investigates China’s use of non-military instruments of statecraft in Micronesia in order to assess the Chinese government’s motives and methods for greater regional presence. By exploring China’s use of diplomacy, economic measures, and information operations in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Republic of Palau over the past three decades, this thesis seeks to explain China’s current and aspirational maritime security objectives beyond the South China Sea and contribute to debates on the Chinese Communist Party’s motives and approaches for gaining strategic advantages vis-à-vis the United States in the Indo-Pacific region.

The research in this thesis leverages concepts of modern political warfare, theories of state-driven geo-economics strategy and psychological effects-based operations to assess China’s engagements in Micronesian states as indicators of great power competition with the United States. It finds that China’s approach to political warfare in the region has become increasingly focused on leveraging state-owned enterprises and economic inducements toward the fishing industries of lesser-developed Micronesian states in order to secure access, grow capacities for displacing American placement and influence, and impose long-term costs and risks to the sustainment of U.S. forward security positions.

Index:

Bikini 127 Chuuk 73, 81, 91, 103, 106, 136 – 137, 139, 143, 146 – 147, 152, 159, 173 – 174, 176, 178 – 180, 185, 192, 194, 198 COFA 39, 73, 91, 101, 104, 109, 127, 136, 139, 141, 143, 146, 156 Ebeye 101, 162 Guam 45, 83, 91, 93 – 94, 104, 117 Kosrae 77, 91, 140, 173, 175, 179 Kwajalein 99, 101, 160 Maap 135, 138 Majuro 99, 124, 140, 145, 161 – 162 Mariana Islands 39, 45, 66, 83, 91 Marshall Islands 25, 29, 32, 36, 40, 44, 73, 83, 91, 93, 95, 98 – 103, 118 – 119, 123 – 125, 127, 129, 139 – 143, 151, 153, 155, 160 – 163, 165, 188, 191, 194, 198 – 199 Nitijela 163 Palau 25, 29, 32 – 33, 36 – 37, 44, 49, 72 – 73, 78, 83, 91 – 93, 96, 107 – 112, 117, 122 – 124, 126, 129 – 133, 138, 140, 144, 146 – 147, 149, 151, 164 – 165, 173, 187, 192 – 193, 199 Pohnpei 91, 103, 140, 173 – 175, 179 – 180, 183, 185 – 187 Truk 91, 177 Yap 32, 91, 103, 133 – 140, 143 – 144, 146, 149, 159, 170, 179, 182, 187, 195 Yapese 134, 138