China’s assertiveness over its sovereignty claim reflects more than a desire to exploit seabed resources, or to gain a widened strategic gateway into the western Pacific. It is also about national renewal and rejuvenation – the core of the Chinese Communist Party’s raison d’être.
中国对主权要求的自信反应不仅限于利用海底资源、抑或扩大西太平洋战略门户的愿望。它还关系到民族的重塑与复兴，也是中国共产党存在的核心理由。躲避与曾经的占领者和历史对手作战被视为面对六十年追求的一种退步。