Abstract (1st Paragraph of article)
A positive link between Chinese economic reform and security policy has been demonstrated in the augmented capability of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) for projecting power in and through the South China Sea in pursuit of territorial and maritime claims. Success in economic reform has enhanced the ability of Beijing’s national exchequer to disburse funds in support of this role by the armed forces in general and the navy in particular. Moreover, the South China Sea holds an intrinsic attraction for the government in Beijing because of the prospect of discovering and exploiting valuable natural resources, especially oil and natural gas, which would then in turn make a major contribution to continuing economic development.
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