The sighting of two Chinese aircraft carriers – Liaoning and Shandong – close to Japan’s southern islands conducting operations simultaneously has caused alarm. There have also been multiple reports of the movement of Chinese coast guard vessels near Japanese islands that China claims. Fears have been expressed that China’s revised guidelines that empower its Coast Guard personnel to use lethal force for enforcing its territorial claims could lead to a major conflagration. While it may be difficult to discern the motivations behind Beijing’s actions, some clues are contained in the Chinese white paper on national security that was unveiled for the first time recently. China’s leadership lays out a complicated global landscape of external and internal challenges in the document. Internationally, the Chinese elite gauge pressure on its security due to sustained turmoil caused by the Russia-Ukraine and India-Pakistan conflicts, and its own great-power competition with America. The ruling Communist Party’s priorities have also been ensuring economic growth and maintaining domestic stability. Economic globalisation and the intricacy and intertwining of supply chains led to China’s rise.

Full opinion : What’s Behind China’s Growing Military Aggression? A ‘White Paper’ Has Clues.