Rise of China and its behaviours in the South China Sea - an analysis of defensive realism perspective

Aug 22, 2026

Uploaded by Ivy

With the continuous improvement of China's comprehensive national strength, international observers increasingly view China as more assertive in handling territorial disputes. This article examines whether Beijing functions as a revisionist state within regional power balances, focusing on South China Sea disputes. Using defensive realism and a security-based precondition, it argues that China’s recent assertiveness reflects shifting self-defence behaviour after strength enhancement, aimed at regional security and national interests rather than initial aggression.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages21

Reading Time53 min

AccessFree to download

Article History

Abstract

Keywords

Introduction

Background of China’s maritime strategy

Land vs. maritime dispute logic

Maritime rights and security implications

Liberal Arts & Social Sciences International Journal (LASSIJ) eISSN: 2664-8148 (online) [https://www.ideapublishers.org/index.php/lassij](https://www.ideapublishers.org/index.php/lassij) Vol. 6, No. 1,(January-June 2022): 286-306 | Research Article | Original Research [https://doi.org/10.47264/idea.lassij/6.1.18](https://doi.org/10.47264/idea.lassij/6.1.18)
Rise of China and its behaviours in the South China Sea: an analysis of
defensive realism perspective
Sheng Zhang*
Department of Government and Public Administration, University of Macau, Macau, China.
*[Corresponding Author Email: mc15151@umac.mo](Corresponding Author Email: mc15151@umac.mo) | | | --- | --- | | Abstract
With the continuous improvement of China's comprehensive national strength, international observers could find that China has become more assertive in dealing with its territorial disputes with its neighbours. The debate about whether China is a revisionist state in the balance of power in its regional affairs is a hot topic and the discussion about her disputes in the South China Sea (SCS) is a subset of this important topic. For Beijing's apex, the significance of the SCS does not need more elaboration because it concerns a series of Chinese interests, especially her national security. Based on the precondition about Chinese security, the article analyses China's behaviours in the SCS to prove that Beijing has not turned aggressive even though it has some so-called assertiveness in its recent actions. The article's purpose is to use defensive realism as an analysis framework to help people think about Beijing's shifting behaviours in territorial disputes, especially when power competition isone factor forming the situation. In investigating the specific cases, the study proves that China's activities in the SCS in recent years are based on self-defence after strength enhancement rather than the beginning of the aggression, especially regarding its regional security and territorial disputes. | Article History
Received:
December 10, 2021
Revised:
April 10, 2022
Re-revised: June 15, 2022
Accepted: June 20, 2022
Published: July 15, 2022 | | Keywords: defensive realism, defence strategy, maritime power, national strength, national security, maritime dispute, territorial disputes, revisionist state, regional security. | | How to Cite: Zhang, S. (2022) . Rise of China and its behaviours in the South China Sea: an analysis of defensive realism perspective. Liberal Arts and Social Sciences International Journal (LASSIJ), 6(1), 286-306. [https://doi.org/10.47264/idea.lassij/6.1.18](https://doi.org/10.47264/idea.lassij/6.1.18) Publisher’s Note: IDEA Publishers (IDEA Journals Group) stands neutral with regard to the jurisdictional claims in the published maps and the institutional affiliations. Copyright: © 2022 The Author(s), published by IDEA Publishers (IDEA Journals Group) . Licensing: This is an Open Access article published under the Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial 4.0 International License ([http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)) 1. Introduction With the continuous improvement of China's comprehensive national strength, after the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the central government changed the guiding spirit of diplomacy from “keeping a low profile and doing something” to “striving for success” and put forward the idea of “building a strong maritime state.” After the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the slogan of “accelerating the construction of a maritime power” indicates that China is urging itself to adapt to the role based on the current development stage with more active behaviour and will pay more attention to the protection of maritime rights and interests than ever before. Every effective government will take an unassailable attitude to protect its core national intere

FAQs

What framework does the article use to analyze China’s behaviour in the South China Sea?

The article uses defensive realism as the analysis framework to interpret Beijing’s shifting behaviour in territorial disputes.

Does the article conclude that China is acting aggressively in the South China Sea?

No. It argues that China’s activities are based on self-defence after strength enhancement rather than the beginning of aggression.

Why does the article emphasize Chinese security regarding the South China Sea?

It states that the significance of the South China Sea relates to a series of Chinese interests, especially national security, which affects broader strategies.

Aug 22, 2026

Uploaded by Ivy

Rise of China and its behaviours in the South China Sea - an analysis of defensive realism perspective_Page 1

Open in WPS to view all 21 pages