Morton, K.M. (2016) China's Ambition in the South China Sea: Is a Legitimate Maritime Order Possible? International Affairs, 92 (4). pp. 909-940. ISSN 0020-5850
Abstract
China’s expanding presence in the South China Sea is now a major source of escalating tensions leading to a spiral of confrontation with the United States and the littoral states of East Asia. Under these conditions, conventional analysis suggests that serious conflict is almost inevitable. This article provides an alternative perspective by situating China’s growing ambition within the broader transformation of maritime order in the contemporary era. On the basis of a new interpretation of maritime order, the study provides a deeper examination of China’s motivations in relation to the maritime disputes, US-China strategic competition, and Xi Jinping’s new strategy to achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The analysis of the legal, strategic, and political dimensions of China’s positioning in the South China Sea suggests that maritime nationalism rather than the quest for maritime hegemony is a central motivation driving Chinese actions. A second important insight is that the current approach is strengthening China’s control, but undermining its legitimacy in the eyes of other major powers and stakeholders. By focusing upon legitimacy as an organising principle in maritime affairs, it becomes clear that the Chinese leadership stands to gain from integrating its ambition more fully into the evolving maritime order.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2016 The Authors. International Affairs published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Royal Institute of International Affairs. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made. |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Social Sciences (Sheffield) > School of East Asian Studies (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 06 Sep 2016 09:06 |
Last Modified: | 13 May 2019 11:39 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1468-2346.12658 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Wiley |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1111/1468-2346.12658 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:99314 |