ABSTRACT

For years the Chinese government has repeatedly emphasized that sovereignty forms the cornerstone of China's relationship with the rest of the world (Carlson 2005, ch. 1). The Chinese stance on sovereignty is thus most commonly understood as being particularly strident and inflexible in comparison with the stance taken by other states. Such a descrip-tion was once accurate. However, this chapter argues that, over the past 30 years, China's approach to sovereignty has changed in unexpected ways.