A rising China confronting its neighbors? How recognition mitigates territorial and maritime conflicts in the East and South China Seas

Over the past few years China's positioning in its maritime and territorial disputes with Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam in the East and South China Seas has become more assertive. Mainstream research attributes Chinese assertiveness to its rise as an economic and military power and to rising Chinese nationalism. Both lines of research fail to account for the less confrontational management of the structurally similar disputes China has with Malaysia and South Korea. The literature also fails to explain variations in Chinese assertiveness during the past three decades.

In order to account for this double variance, the project analyzes how the behavior of four of the above mentioned five opponents of China impacts on China's dispute behavior. The project analyzes, in how far there is a causal link between the other states' recognition of China's national role and world order conceptions (e.g., Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, non-hegemony, common security, common destiny, harmonious world) and Chinese assertiveness in the maritime and territorial disputes. It is argued that recognition of China's ideational claims brings about a partial fading of China's assertiveness in the maritime and territorial disputes even if the opponent does not compromise on its legal claims. In its quest for upholding domestic legitimacy, the Chinese elite can utilize other states' displays of respect for its ideational claims as a (temporary) substitute for tangible gains in the maritime and territorial disputes.

By not only focusing on phases of heightened contention in the conflict-prone state-dyads (China-Japan, China-Philippines), but also including phases largely devoid of visible contention and also examining China's low-profile disputes with Malaysia and South Korea the project will provide not only more comprehensive but also less biased explanations of Chinese conflict behavior. This project thereby offers new insights into the benefits of recognition as a conflict-mitigating device.

The Project is currently in the pilot phase.

Project director:
Employees:
  • Kim, Tongfi
1
Dealing With China in the South China Sea: Duterte Changing Course | 2018

Kreuzer, Peter (2018): Dealing With China in the South China Sea: Duterte Changing Course, PRIF Report 3/2018, Frankfurt/M.

Download publication  // Show details
2
A “Ripe Moment” by Accident? The Turn-Around in Sino-Philippine Relations | 2017

Kreuzer, Peter (2017): A “Ripe Moment” by Accident? The Turn-Around in Sino-Philippine Relations, PRIF BLOG, 29.11.2017.

Show details
3
One year after the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s decision on the South China Sea | 2017

Kreuzer, Peter (2017): One year after the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s decision on the South China Sea, PRIF Blog, 12.7.2017.

Show details
4
The Philippines after one year under Duterte | 2017

Kreuzer, Peter (2017): The Philippines after one year under Duterte. Still majority support for killing suspected criminals, PRIF Blog, 30.6.2017.

Show details
5
One award and two elections: ASEAN and the South China Sea | 2017

Kreuzer, Peter (2017): One award and two elections: ASEAN and the South China Sea, China Policy Institute: Analysis, 8.3.2017.

Show details
6
US Alliance Obligations in the Disputes in the East and South China Seas | 2016

Kim, Tongfi (2016): US Alliance Obligations in the Disputes in the East and South China Seas. Issues of Applicability and Interpretations, PRIF Report No. 141, Frankfurt/M.

Download publication  // Show details
7
Zwei Regierungswechsel und ein Urteil | 2016

Kreuzer, Peter (2016): Zwei Regierungswechsel und ein Urteil. Die Philippinen und Taiwan im Konflikt um das Südchinesische Meer, HSFK-Report Nr. 10/2016, Frankfurt/M.

Download publication  // Show details
8
Druck auf China wäre kontraproduktiv | 2016

Kreuzer, Peter (2016): Druck auf China wäre kontraproduktiv, Frankfurter Rundschau, 17.7.2016, www.fr-online.de/(...).

Show details
9
Territorialkonflikte im Südchinesischen Meer | 2016

Kreuzer, Peter (2016): Territorialkonflikte im Südchinesischen Meer. Zur globalen Bedeutung des Schiedsgerichts-Urteils im Streit zwischen China und den Philippinen, 14.7.2016.

Show details
10
A Comparison of Malaysian and Philippine Responses to China in the South China Sea | 2016

Kreuzer, Peter (2016): A Comparison of Malaysian and Philippine Responses to China in the South China Sea, in: The Chinese Journal of International Politics, 9:3, 239-276, https://doi.org/10.1093/cjip/pow008.

Show details
11
Frieden und Stabilität mit oder gegen China | 2015

Kreuzer, Peter (2015): Frieden und Stabilität mit oder gegen China. Der Konflikt im Südchinesischen Meer stellt alle Beteiligten vor Grundsatzentscheidungen, HSFK-Standpunkte Nr. 2/2015, Frankfurt/M.

Download publication  // Show details
12
Freie Schifffahrt oder „Kanonenbootpolitik“ | 2015

Kreuzer, Peter (2015): Freie Schifffahrt oder „Kanonenbootpolitik“. Der Konflikt zwischen den USA und China im Südchinesischen Meer muss rechtlich geklärt werden, HSFK-Standpunkte Nr. 5/2015, Frankfurt/M.

Download publication  // Show details
13
Facing China | 2015

Kreuzer, Peter (2015): Facing China. Crises or Peaceful Coexistence in the South China Sea, PRIF Report No. 134, Frankfurt/M.

Download publication  // Show details
14
Konfliktherd Südchinesisches Meer | 2014

Kreuzer, Peter (2014): Konfliktherd Südchinesisches Meer, HSFK-Report Nr. 2/2014, Frankfurt/M.

Download publication  // Show details
15
Gefährliches Souveränitätsspiel im Südchinesischen Meer | 2014

Kreuzer, Peter (2014): Gefährliches Souveränitätsspiel im Südchinesischen Meer, in: Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte, 64:40, 15-21, http://www.bpb.de/(...).

Show details