Perhaps you haven't noticed that China has been building islands and claiming the sea around them. In fact, they claim the entire South China Sea as territorial waters. They routinely send their fishing fleets into the legitimate territorial waters of other nations. As they are starting to struggle again with the size of their population, expansion will seem like a natural solution.
The SCS is not claimed as territorial waters. In fact the claims are purposefully vague not just in content but also in scope in order to make it easy for China to negotiate them down in exchange for various concessions.
> China has been building islands and claiming the sea around them
Of cuz, that's known everywhere. Chinese netizens are ecstatic about this ingenious move that fenced off SEA countries from meddling the water area in any way that could affect China's claim over them.
> They routinely send their fishing fleets into the legitimate territorial waters of other nations
They are just self directed business man. Just like the numerous business man who invaded almost every Asian countries in the early 1900s. These fisherman would have been invading all-over the places if they were in 1900 as well.
Of cuz, not like the 1900s, these fisherman are not going to be protected (very strongly) by their home country when they were caught.
> they are starting to struggle again with the size of their population, expansion will seem like a natural solution.
Well, almost everyone is expecting the population to be dwindling from now on. A lot have calling the recent census fake, because they all expect a population drop.
Not sure why this population driven expansnism holds itself...
