郑和下西洋的海权性质

Zheng He’s Seven Great Voyages in Perspective of Sea Power

明代郑和下西洋活动是中国海洋史上重要的历史事件,其海权性质也是重要的学术问题。郑和舰队能够使用军事力量为朝贡贸易护航,并掌握了航线上的制海权,随行军事力量还具有"由海向陆"的登陆作战能力,因此从海权理论的角度来考察,贸易海权是其发展弱项,而其军事海权的发展却有"超前性",总体上具有不充分、不平衡的特点。郑和海洋经略活动实为近代海权历史潮流的前奏,也是全球航海贸易时代的前驱。下西洋的对象国家中有些小国通过依傍郑和下西洋活动得到了发展动力,显示出郑和海权活动在中外之间产生一定的共生性。造成郑和"海权"发展不充分、不平衡的原因比较复杂。尽管存在这种不充分、不平衡,但对明代中后期海洋活动发展构成一定刺激。郑和下西洋活动的中止,意味着对当时海权探索的能力与可能性的扼杀。

The present paper reexamines the seven voyages led by Zheng He from the angle of sea power. It contends that Zheng’s voyages were neither sufficient nor balanced,on the grounds that these voyages were weak in the light of trade power and by contrast advanced in terms of military power. The reason of this insufficiency and disbalance was complex. Despite this,Zheng’s voyages were still impetus to China’s maritime endeavor in the mid-and late Ming.