1. William Henry Seward, an American politician in the 19th century, correctly predicted that the Pacific Ocean would become increasingly important globally due to rising trade and commerce between countries like the US and China. 2. Seward played a key role in expanding American influence and territory in the Pacific, including securing Alaska and Hawaii for the US. He also advocated for infrastructure like the transcontinental railroad to better connect the US to the Pacific coast. 3. In recent decades, Seward's vision of increased importance of the Pacific has come to pass, with the US and China emerging as the two dominant powers in the region due to their large and growing economies and trade relationships. Both countries are asserting their influence through diplomatic

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Henry Tricks in the London based reputed weekly -The Economist, states, one hundred and sixty two
years ago, in a speech to the Congress in 1852, American Senator William Henry Seward predicted - the
Europe centered Atlantic would decline in importance. “The Pacific Ocean, its shores, its islands and
the vast regions beyond, will become the chief theatre of events in the world’s great hereafter,” he
says. Tricks further quotes him that the commerce would be the “great agent of this movement” and
would flourish between America and China.
William Henry Seward who later became Secretary of State( 1861-1869) to the America’s
sixteenth President—Abraham Lincoln and his successor, played a key role in securing Midway
Atoll for the United States. That later helped America annex the Hawaii - group of islands
extended over some 2400 kilometers area lying south of the Atoll in the Central Pacific. This
is the only U.S. state inhabited by majority of Asian population and not located in the
Americas. In August 1959, it became the 50th American state.
Seward also played a crucial role in securing support of the US Congress in constructing
3,069 km railroad line constructed between 1863 and 1869 across the western United States
to connect the Pacific coast at the San Francisco Bay. He had also made significant diplomatic
move to construct a canal connecting the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific.
Mainly it was William Henry Seward, who had opened doors to the Pacific Ocean for the
United States. He was also responsible for purchasing Alaska from the Russia. Decision to buy
Alaska did not move smoothly, he was vehemently criticized in the Congress in wasting money
for an icebox, but now America knows how Alaska gives the US the great strategic advantage
in a critical region.
What Seward had envisioned, has become true. The Pacific age has come into prominence
and therefore, American President Barack Obama has claimed America as a Pacific country.
As Seward said, America and China followed by Japan have emerged as major Pacific powers
and their contribution to the global output has become some 50 percent. This has brought
Pacific at the center of global theater of diplomacy, economic activities, and military
acquisition. In recent APEC, East Asia, and G 20 summit, both the US and China made terrific
diplomatic and strategic move to assert and convince their stakes in the region. Although
America visibly seems confused between containing China or engaging China, but a
combination of both has become an easy way out for it.
This was obviously displayed during G -20 summit in Australia. A tripartite naval alliance was
forged between America, Australia, and Japan followed by major strategic move to keep the
Philippines and Vietnam in confidence. Indubitably, it aims to find for a better coordination in
their strategy against China. However, both China and USA reached on a major breakthrough
on climate change and sharing military information between them. Similarly, in a bid to
boost its diplomatic morale in the region, Chinese President Xi Jinping, during the summit
announced steps toward a 17-member Free Trade Area of the Asia- Pacific FTAAP -
apparently, a rival proposal to the US backed Trans Pacific Partnership-TPP.

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No two nations like the USA and China could be expected to have frictionless relations
between them. However, Globalization has helped them amass huge wealth, maintain peace
and stability in their relations, and in the region as a whole to upkeep their journey in
acquiring more wealth and prosperity through bilateral and multilateral trade. This needs the
rule of the waterways. Therefore, even to maintain such rules and stop other from violating
it, a country needs some level of military buildup. Therefore, America is increasing its
military presence in Pacific region and China has increased its defense budget although
second largest with some $ 130 billion, but when compared to US defense budget it is just one
quarter of the Pentagon spending.
During President Xi Jinping’s meeting with Mr. Barack Obama in Sunnylands - California, in the
June last year, Xi called for building “a new model of major country relationship”. Xi during
that time admitted that with stronger political will on both parts and the cooperation of the
last 40 years have offered adequate evidences of this. Xi also tried to convince Obama that
the wide extending Pacific Ocean has enough space for the two large countries - China and
the United States.
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Noted economist and the leading scholar of Sustainable Development - Jaffrey D. Sachs in his
recent column in Project Syndicate claimed, “China has overtaken the United States as the
world’s largest economy . . .”. Giving references to IMF sources, Sachs continues, “China’s
GDP will be $17.6 trillion in 2014, outstripping US output of $17.4 trillion”.
Sachs also states China’s population that is four times bigger and its per capita GDP $12,900,
which is still less than a quarter of the $54,700 of the US, followed by America’s much higher
living standards, bears deep meaning. Indeed, China may not match or may stand many years
behind to the US in per capita GDP, living standards, in advanced weaponries, military power,
in science and technology and most importantly in knowledge advancements including
research and development, but undoubtedly, China has accomplished an incredible and
probably an impossible task in human history. The country that had the economy just half of
the size of the US in 2011, has filled the large gap and outdone the US in 2014 to become the
largest economy of the World. It is also a matter to note that only in 2010; China has
snatched the crown from Japan as the world’s second largest economy.
It is no more than a meteoric rise. In 2001, China’s GDP totaled some $ 1.16 trillion that was
nearly double than that of 1990.
If we look back to the history, it says China has returned to the early nineteenth Century
when it was the world’s largest economy. Various studies say - from the early 1500 to 1889
China was the world’s largest economy. By 1820, it accounted one third of world’s total GDP.
Only after 1889, according to Sachs, US eclipsed China and now again after 125 years the
ranking has reversed following decades of rapid economic development in China that alone
has been responsible for nearly half of all world economic growth since the beginning of 2010.
China also shares some one fifth of the total the global output, these days.

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In its innovative series of world history, Oxford has also published a book on Silk Road, and
Xinru Liu in the book cites the first century Roman scholar Pliny the Elder, who has stated in
his ‘Natural History’ - “trees bear wool” in China. Until that time, it seems Europe knew very
little about cotton or silk. Pliny according to Liu, has further mentioned that to satisfy
luxurious desire of wealthy Roman women to adorn themselves with much expensive silk
fabrics, treasury of the Roman Empire was depleting and bleeding.
In the first Century, China depleted Roman treasury because of its expensive silk fabrics, but
again after so many centuries, China as the largest manufacturer of the world, has built an
economic empire around the world, has filled the global markets with cheapest consumer
goods from toys and clothes to sophisticated electronic gadgets to the size of every ones
pockets. Over again, largely, China has compelled the Europe and America reconcile with
their reduced treasury. Ultimately, this has helped China regain its status that it lost to
United States after 1889- as the world’s largest economy.
After some two centuries, China has placed itself at the center of Asian politics and only
during the three summits held in Asia and Pacific on November 10-16, China gracefully
exhibited it. First, it was Asia – Pacific Economic Cooperation - APEC forum summit held in
Beijing. Next was the East Asia Summit in Myanmar and the third one the G 20 in Australia.
Matthew Goodman and Ely Ratner in a recent issue of Foreign Affairs Magazine have admitted
“economics is king in Asia”, the fact remains that leadership, and influence will flow from the
wallet, not the gun. China with its deep pockets made major announcements on a series of
major initiatives designed “to place China at the center of Asia’s economic future”.
These included the creation of a $100 billion fund for major projects and a 21st century Silk
Road initiatives generally known as Silk Road Economic Belt. During APEC summit China’s
President Xi Jinping announced a $ 40 billion fund for building infrastructure for the Silk
Road. Earlier 21 Asian countries including China and India had launched a multilateral - Asian
Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
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Apparently, supporting world’s largest population with a descent living standard, offering high quality
job and economic security to them, develop its economy to strengthen its national security and build
military power to combat possible threats to its vital strategic economic interests, are China’s major
national objectives.
If a crisis erupts in China’s relations with Japan, India, or the US, China may face the greatest strategic
vulnerability in the Malacca Strait - the majoroutlets for China to the high seas. The Strait is under the
surveillances of strong American and Indian navies in the region. If they decide to blockade the
waterway, within hours the U.S. navy stationed Changi naval base in Singapore and the Indian one,
stationed in Andaman and Nicobar can strangulate Chinese economy. Malacca - a 1,000 km long, but
only 2.4 km wide at its narrowest point, is the major waterway for China’s merchant ships ferrying
oil and natural resources to China and shipping merchandise to the every corner of the world. More
than 90 percent of China’s cargo in route to Asia and Europe including 80% of China’s energy

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supplies pass through this waterway. Similarly, all other majortrade routes critical for Chinese
economy is still guarded by the US navy.
Besides, the US 7th Fleet's stationed in the region with an area of responsibility covering some
35 maritime countries, has been a continued source of strategic threat to China during
regional crisis.
To address this vulnerability, China needs sea routes where it can operate freely and independently. A
maritime silk road – joining China with Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea with a safe passage, is
therefore a major national priority for China. It has invested millions of dollar in developing
Gwadar port facility in Pakistan in the Arabian Sea to find a secured sea-lane to Indian
Ocean. The Gwadar’s strategic location that would connect China to the Arabian Sea and
Strait of Hormuz - a gateway for one third of the world’s traded oil, can supply oil to China
overland through an expanded Karakoram Highway. It would serve the significant strategic
supply to both China and Pakistan.
China has also developed a project to finance a canal across the Isthumas of Kra in Thailand –
that would provide another link between Indian and Pacific Oceans. The project slated to
cost some $ 20 billion would shorten the sea passage to some 2400 kilometers.
On the other hand, Sri Lanka has drawn enormous Chinese attention for its critical location in
Indian Ocean. China has financed a major $ 1.4 billion Colombo Port City Project that will
make it the center of China’s Maritime Silk Road. Quoting the Chairman of the respective port
project, Anusha Ondaatjie in the Bloomberg, states- the offices, hotels, apartments and
shopping centers in the port will draw some $20 billion investment over the other 15 years. In
the last September, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Sri Lanka and Maldives to sell his
attractive project to them.
China has considered Maldives “an important stop of the ancient maritime Silk Road”. During
Xi’s visit, numbers of agreements were signed especially in infrastructure development
strategically significant to China’s vision of 21st Century maritime Silk Road. This includes- a
project to build a bridge connecting the capital with the airport in the island of Hulhule. A
$500-million airport development project that was unilaterally scrapped by the previous
government from an Indian company has now been allotted to a Chinese company.
Sri Lanka has displayed its strong willingness to join China in its Maritime Silk Road. It has
handed over the management of second phase of Hambantota port that will develop the port
as a major maritime center in the Indian Ocean - with adequate berths for Chinese use. Near
to Hambantota port, China is developing strategically critical major aircraft maintenance
facility. China has also developed container port facility in Chittagong in Bangladesh and has
been making efforts to build a strategic railway and pipeline facilities that would link its inner
Yunnan province to the Bay of Bengal through Myanmar.
Stability and prosperity in Asia and Pacific is in the best interests of China, the US and all the
countries in the region. All the major powers do have no luxury to confront each other in the
Asia- Pacific even for their basic survival. The only option they have is a rule based free
commerce through all sea routes in all situations.

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In the last November, in Guangdong - China, the first international expo for the 21st Century
Maritime Silk Road was concluded. According to Xinhua, a staggering $ 28.6 billion business
deals were signed. Forty-two countries including those from 25 countries along the proposed
Maritime Silk Road and regions attended the three-day expo. After Chinese President Xi
Jinping proposed the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, it has drawn attention and enthusiasm
from Indonesia and Malaysia to Middle East and Africa.
The truth of the day is that no great power has power or willingness to enforce its own rule
unilaterally in global oceans. Partnership for prosperity is the rule of the game and to achieve
this aim, all major powers connected with each other for their vital economic needs,
indubitably have to exhibit basic reason and an idea of rule of reason to turn the global
oceans a better “playground rather than a battleground”. Unless they have their national
commitment to be ruled by the idea of reason, they do not deserve to lead their great
countries.
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