This book offers an assessment of China's assertive foreign policy behavior with a special focus on Chinese policies in the South China Sea (SCS). By providing a detailed account of the events in the SCS and by analyzing power dynamics in the region, it identifies the driving forces behind China's assertive foreign policy. Considering China's power on a domestic as well as an international level, it examines a number of different sources of hard and soft power, including military, economics, geopolitics, and domestic legitimacy.

The author demonstrates that Chinese assertiveness in the SCS can be explained not only by increases in China's power, but also by effective reactions to other actors' foreign policy changes. The book will appeal to scholars in international relations, especially those interested in a better understanding of South China Sea developments, China's political power and foreign policy, and East Asian international affairs.

Autorentext

Dr. Richard Q. Turcsányi is an Associate Research Fellow at the Institute of International Relations Prague. Besides, he is also an Assistant Professor at Mendel University in Brno and the Director of Strategic Policy Institute in Bratislava. In the past he conducted long-term study and research stays at the University of Toronto, Peking University, National Chengchi University in Taipei and European Institute for Asian Studies in Brussels. He specializes in Chinese foreign policy, China's power and China's relations with Central Europe. His research has appeared for example in Journal of Chinese Political Science, Energy Policy, Czech Journal of Political Science, Springer, and Brill.

Inhalt
Chapter 1. The puzzle of Chinese assertiveness.- Chapter 2. Chinese assertive actions in the South China Sea.- Chapter 3. A comprehensive concept of power in international relations.- Chapter 4. China's sources of power at the state level: the military, the economy, and national performance.- Chapter 5. China's international and societal levels of power sources. Chapter 6. Theories of Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea.- Chapter 7. Conclusion.