The role of Gwadar in China’s maritime strategy: A geostrategic dialogue between Mahan and Mackinder

Abstract China’s rapid naval modernization has sparked global attention, as the People’s Liberation Army Navy surpassed the United States Navy in 2020 as the largest maritime force in the world. However, in this development, most attention has been directed at Chinese naval developments in its eastern maritime periphery, in relation to the South and East China Seas and the Taiwan Strait. However, concrete actions regarding China’s maritime strategy are also undertaken in China’s western maritime periphery, specifically in relation to the Port of Gwadar. This paper, therefore, investigates the role of Gwadar within China’s maritime strategy through the geopolitical frameworks of Mahan and Mackinder.