ABSTRACT
South China Sea issues include two categories of affairs: disputed and non-disputed. The South China Sea dispute incorporates two major subject matters: first are island sovereignty disputes. The US military is boosting its conspicuous firepower in the South China Sea, where the situation remains tense, triggering intense domestic and international public concern. For China, the top priority is to objectively and accurately understand the situation in the South China Sea, and then correspondingly devise realistic strategies and response tactics. Since the end of the Cold War, China has long pursued a policy of ‘Chinese sovereignty, shelving disputes, and seeking joint development’ on the South China Sea issue, in reality maintaining strategic patience and restraint. Trends in the unfolding South China Sea situation once again prove that strength is a condition and prerequisite in negotiations. Only when China’s strength is sufficiently great, may the South China Sea situation develop as per China’s vision.
