Strategic Sea Lines of Communication - China’s South China Sea policy and the Copenhagen School of Security Studies

Abstract: The issue of Chinese assertiveness has become a big focus area for International Relations scholars in recent years due to China’s growing global and regional impact in Asia, which is increasingly challenging USA’s hard and soft power in the region. The purpose of this thesis is to nuance the realist interpretation of the Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea by applying a Copenhagen School theory of Security Studies theoretical framework to uncover underlying motives and incentives for China’s actions. The study highlights how important the aspect of political security is for China’s South China Sea-policy as the sea is a key factor in China’s continued economic development. The study furthermore shows how cautious China is to not securitise the dispute, which partially can be explained by wariness toward audience costs created by future nationalist protests.