La importancia estratégica de las disputas territoriales del Estado chino en el mar de China Meridional: un enfoque geopolítico desde el realismo neoclásico.

This article analyzes the relationship between geopolitical factors and the strategic significance of the Chinese state´s territorial disputes in the South China Sea. The study examines this relationship through the influence of geopolitical factors on the configuration of Chinese national strategy. To do so, it turns to neoclassical realism, addressing the interactions between external pressures and intervening variables at the unit level. In doing so, it analyzes how geopolitical factors shaped Chinese leaders' perceptions of reality and their impact on their interpretation of certain events, such as the 1995 Taiwan Strait Crisis and the entry into force of the unclos. The study argues that these events were perceived as threats to China and helped shape national strategy in maritime terms. As a result, China developed its naval power to control the South China Sea and establish its sphere of influence in order to become the hegemonic regional power. All of this meant the increase of its presence and assertiveness in the region, which proves the importance of its territorial disputes in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]