Pelagic.

This is coolbert:

From a comment of a reader:

"China, her officials and western mouthpieces will purr, has never been an expansionist power. As Mosher points out, this is untrue. China's territory has expanded more than tenfold since proper historical records began in the 8th century B.C. Her current land area is more than twice what it was at the height of the Ming dynasty 500 years ago"

Read here an article from today, hot off the presses, that only reinforces the perception that China intends to become a major naval power to rival [surpass??] the U.S.

"China's Hu: Build Powerful, 'Any Time' Navy"

[I would add, "Any Where" too!!]

"Hu said China . . . was a major maritime country whose naval capability must be improved."

"China's naval expansion includes a growing submarine fleet and new ships with "blue water" capability"

Blue water=pelagic. Deep ocean going.

"Analysts say China sees a stronger navy as a way to secure energy supplies and seaborne trade routes to help ease security fears over supplies of resources and oil it needs to feed its booming economy"

The Spratly Islands, Malacca, Kra, etc.

Traditionally, the Chinese have had good sailors, but coastal-huggers. NOT pelagic, deep-water sailors. This will change. Probably soon.

Trade routes, energy sources, oil, timber, etc.

Zheng He and his treasure fleet will be done proud. Six hundred years after Zheng, another Chinese fleet will sail the world, and the world will hold it's breath.

[with regard to territorial expansion, Chinese cannot be considered to be an Empire till the time of the Chin dynasty, around 220 B.C. Warring states existed prior to that time. Incorporation into the Empire would include all the contiguous areas of the warring states and then expanding in a manner where one could go by foot. Expanding via the ocean will be new for the Chinese!]

coolbert.