ChinasDiscourseInvolvingtheSouthChinaSeaDisputes:ANonChineseApproachto

InternationalAffairs

ChinasapproachtoresolvingdisputeshasbeenguidedpredominatelybyConfucian
moderationandharmony,inwhichamiddlepathissoughtandfollowed.Inthis
Confucianway,unilateralandradicalactionsaretobeshunnedandrebuked.Since
theearly1980s,ChinasmanagementofinternationalaffairshasalsoreflectedDeng
Xiaopingsdictumforhumbleness:keepingalowprofileandhidingbrightness.
Combined,thetwostrategieshaveresultedinChinasapproachtoforeignrelations
beingshapedbythreeguidingprinciples:respectingandacceptingmultiple
perspectiveswhendealingwiththeinternationalcommunity;seekingmutualbenefit
inthenegotiationprocessesandaimingatbuildingaharmoniousworld.These
constructiveprinciplesaretobeappliedparticularlyinthosecaseswherethe
disputesarecomplexandsensitive.

Forexample,duringameetingwithJapaneseleaderson31May1979todiscussthe
SinoJapanesedisputesovertheDiayu/SenkakuIslandsintheEastChinaSea,Deng
recommendedthatChinaandJapanshould"setasidedisputesandpursuejoint
development,"andleaveterritorialdisputestofuturegenerationswhowillbebetter
equippedtodoso.Arguably,thismoderateapproachunderlinedChinassuccessful
internationalrelationsforaperiodof30yearssinceitsopeningup,includingits
relationswiththeU.S.andRussia,itsmanagementofborderdisputeswithIndiaand
Bhutan,anditsimplementationoftheonecountry,twosystemsapproachto
reintegrateHongKongandMacauintothemotherland.

Untilrecently,Beijingfollowedthismoderatemiddlepathinitsterritorialdisputesin
theSouthChinaSea(SCS)byimplementingtheDeclarationontheCodeofConduct
ontheSouthChinaSea.ProposedtoASEANmembersin2002,itisaimedatfinding
mutuallybeneficialindividualagreementswiththedifferentcountriesinvolvedinthe
conflictandjointlydevelopingSCSnaturalresources.

Inthelastfiveyears,however,Chinahasabandonedthisapproachandhasadopted
anassertive,oftenbelligerentstance,inpursuitofitsextensiveterritorialclaimsin
theSCS.PresidentXiJinpingsChineseDreamcampaign,whichisaimedatreviving
Chinaspastgloriesandworldstatus,hasmadeBeijingsstancemoreantagonistic
andaggressive.Beijingsassertivediscourseaimsatlegitimizingandrendering
indisputableChinasterritorialsovereigntyambitionsandsilenceargumentsand
claimsputforwardbytheneighboringstatesinvolved.Consequently,theterritorial
disputesthatprimarilypitChinaagainsttherestoftheclaimantshavegrownin
intensityandthreatentoescalateintomilitaryconfrontation.

ThisnewapproachtointernationalaffairsflatlyrejectsConfucianmoderationand
Dengsmorehumbleapproachintheinternationalarena.Areviewofthecurrent

discourseanddeclarationsmadebytheclaimantsunderscoresthefactthattheir
claimsareincompatible.EvidenceofthisarethestatementsmadebytheChinese
andFilipinoForeignMinistries,withtheformerarguingforChinasindisputable
sovereigntyovertheislandsandadjacentwaters,andthelatterrejectingChinas
claimstotheSCSencompassedbytheninedashlineascontrarytoconventionand
exceedingChinasmaritimeentitlementsunderUNCLOS.

InthewakeofthePermanentCourtofArbitration'srulingonJuly12,2016,
overwhelminglysupportingthePhilippinesterritorialclaims,Chinahasnotonly
emphaticallydeclinedtoabidebytheruling,buthasalsobecomemoreassertiveand
aggressiveinitsclaimsandactions.PresidentXiandPremierLiKeqianginsistthat
theywantfriendlyrelationswiththeirneighborsandpeacefullyresolvedisputes,but
Beijingsmessagingandactionsonthegroundstandincontrast.Abellicoserhetoric
andthebuildingofmilitarizedislandsintheSCSindicatethatChinaispreparedfor
potentialescalationinregionaltensionsandevenmilitaryengagement.

WhyhasChinaundertakensucharadicaldepartureinitsforeignpolicyapproach,as
regardstheSCS?OnepossibletheoryisthattheCommunistPartyofChina(CPC)
wantsanexternalconflicttodivertattentionoftheChinesepeoplefromnumerous
domestictensions.TheCPCisawarethatmostChinese,includingthosewhoare
unhappywithitsleadershipdomestically,willrallybehindthemifChinaentersintoa
militaryconfrontationoverterritorialclaims.Thisisevidenced,inpart,bythelarge
majorityofChinesewhoareconvincedthattheSCSisindisputablypartofChina.

Anotherhypothesis,albeitdifficulttodocument,isthatPresidentXineedsto
escalatetensionsintheSCStohelphiminhisunprecedentedfighttouproot
decadeslongcorruptionamongCPCmembersand,inparticular,Chinasmilitary
leadership.PresidentXiisintheprocessofreshufflingthemilitaryleadershipand
fundamentallyrestructuringthemilitary,resultinginsomecommandersoffering
resistance,fearfulofalossinlucrativeprivileges.GrowingdisputesintheSCShave
givenPresidentXiarobustargumentfortheneedtorestructurethemilitary.

AthirdhypothesisforBeijingabandoningtheConfucianmiddlepathandadoptingan
aggressivestanceintheSCS,isthattheCPCistestinghowmuchtheU.S.iswillingto
yieldtoChinasexpandingsphereofinfluence,tothendealmoreeffectivelywithits
othermajorconflict,theoneovertheDaiyu/SenkakuwithJapan.Thisisparticularly
relevantforBeijingduetotheadditionalstrategicandmilitarychallengethattheU.S.
pivottoAsiaPacificrepresentsconcerningChinasdesiretoestablishitselfasthe
dominantregionalpower.

IftheCommunistPartyofChinaisgenuinelyinterestedinapeacefulresolutionof
thedisputesintheSCS,itshouldreturntothemoderateConfucianmiddlewayby
respectingandintegratingtheargumentsandclaimsofallpartiesinvolvedinthe
conflict,andseekingmutualbenefitinthenegotiationprocesses.Thisapproachwill

provideanenvironmentinwhichtheSCSterritorialdisputescanberesolvedand,
ultimately,contributetoChinasambitiontobuildaharmoniousworld.

PatrikK.Meyer,avisitingProfessorat VisitingProfessorinInternationalRelationsat
MuhammadiyahUniversityYogyakarta,Indonesia