China’s real core interests are not in territorial expansion and hegemony over its neighbors, but in upholding the human rights and improving the welfare of its own citizens, which is the world’s core interest in China. But until China accepts that its territorial claims in the South China Sea must be discussed multilaterally, so that smaller countries like the Philippines and Vietnam do not feel threatened, China’s ever expanding “core interests” will be the root of instability in East Asia.
中国真正的核心利益并不在领土扩张和称霸四邻，而在于提升人权和改善中国人民的福利，这也是世界对中国的核心利益。但在中国认识到南海领土主张必须放在多边讨论框架内以使菲律宾和越南等小国不至于感到威胁之前，中国不但扩大的“核心利益”将一直是东亚不稳定之源。