So far, China has formally referred to Taiwan, Tibet, and Xinjiang province as “core interests,” a phrase that connotes an assertion of national sovereignty and territorial integrity that will brook no compromise. Now China is attempting to apply the same term to the Senkaku Islands in its dispute with Japan, and is perilously close to making the same claim for the entire South China Sea; indeed, some Chinese military officers already have.
到目前为止，正式被中国列入“核心利益”的包括台湾、西藏和新疆。“核心利益”一词意味着国家主权和领土完整，中国在这方面绝不会让步。如今，中国正意欲把核心利益一词用于与日本的钓鱼岛之争，甚至不顾危险地将它用于对整个南海的主张：事实上，一些军官已经在这么用了。