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China’s policy of asserting territorial control in the South China Sea began in the 1970s and 1980s. In those decades disputes between China and its neighbors were not frequent, as China generally kept a low profile on the international stage.

In 1987, China occupied the Fiery Cross Reef which was claimed by Taiwan, the Philippines and Vietnam. China’s first land reclamation initiative in the South China Sea started in 1988, which saw construction on several outcrops near the Spratly Islands. As the Chinese presence in the South China Sea continued to increase conflict with other nations who also laid claim to these areas rose.

In 2009 tension in the South China Sea reached a new high as the US protested against Chinese vessels harassing its naval surveillance ship in the contested region. China also had disagreements with such nations as Malaysia and Vietnam about where the borders of each nation should be in the region. There was also an increase in clashes between Chinese fishing vessels’ and those of other nations, which became more frequent as the years went by.

At the start of 2010, China stated that the South China Sea was part of its “core interests” that cannot be compromised alongside other claims on Taiwan, Tibet, and Xinjiang. This announcement reinforced the ever growing Chinese presence in the South China Sea and saw China become more assertive in its claims there. This shift in China’s foreign policy arose from multiple factors such as a surge in nationalism, the rise of China’s economy, and the discovery of natural resources in the region.

In 2011 and 2012, China began to try to administrate fishing in the region. China deployed more ships to the area and demanded that foreign ships obtain permission from the provincial government in Hainan if they wanted to fish in the disputed areas. There was also a standoff between China and the Philippines at the Scarborough which both nations had claims to. During the 2013 Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit Xi Jinping said that China cannot develop in isolation and that Asia cannot develop without China. China wielded its economic power to resolve disputes in the South China Sea. For example, cutting imports of goods from the Philippines when tension between the two countries arose in the region, though these sanctions were not official and Chinese government denied using its economic power to gain political advantage. China also started to build more infrastructure in the areas it had already claimed and built more artificial islands in the region.

In 2014 the Chinese State Council issued its Energy Development Strategy Action plan which called for the nation to increase its domestic oil production. This plan included oil rig in the South China Sea, and can explain why China has taken a more assertive policy in the year leading up to and after this announcement.

In 2016 the tribunal under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea ruled in favor of the Philippines in another issue of territory disputes between the two nations. It also said that China’s claims in the South China have no lawful effect and exceeds what it is entitled to under United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, leading to China rejecting these rules. Over the next few years China would continue to assert its claims in disputed regions leading to more tension between it, the United States, Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. 2016 also saw the United State take a tough stance on China

In 2021 Chinese government passed Order No.71 which is a law that China says is meant to standardize and clarify the duties of the Chinese coast guard. The law specifically allows the Coast Guard to use all necessary measures to stop what it calls the “illegal violation of national sovereignty” by foreign organization or individuals. The law has provoked a strong reaction from Vietnam, Philippines, and Japan who are worried that Beijing will extend the laws to disputed regions that China has claimed like the Senkaku Islands.