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It might also be to get Chinese citizens to care more about having sovereignty over those islands. Laypeople in China might care more about the issue if the is
by upwardbound 5y ago
It might also be to get Chinese citizens to care more about having sovereignty over those islands. Laypeople in China might care more about the issue if the islands look big rather than looking like "oh who cares about that mound of dirt anyways".
- seanmcdirmid 5y agoThis is mostly strategic: China is effectively hemmed in by Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and a bunch of SE Asian countries. They simply don't have easy access to the ocean from a military point of view (they are easily cut off during a war). They are trying to claim the whole of the SCS to fortify it and ensure open routes in case of a war. It does seem awfully unfair looking at a map though, basically China's claim comes without 10 miles of other country land borders. Nobody but the Chinese would think these claims are fair.