China is a land and sea power, and the surrounding situation is very complicated. Most of the land and maritime territorial disputes between China and neighboring countries are issues left over from history, some of which have been settled, while others are still pending. Judging from the current situation, these problems are not only hopeless to be solved in the short term, but also tend to worsen and become complicated, which will undoubtedly bring great challenges to China's continued implementation of the strategy of stabilizing its periphery.
The Sino-Indian border dispute is the only land border dispute in China so far. Over the years, India has been taking unilateral actions in the disputed area in the eastern section, building a "state", establishing a "government" and accelerating immigration in an attempt to force China to recognize its "actual jurisdiction". Therefore, the Indian army has increased its troops by 60,000 in the disputed areas in the east, deployed weapons and strengthened the construction of battlefields such as airports and roads. Its long-term occupation of China's territory has been completely exposed. As far as the political and military situation of China and India in disputed areas is concerned, India has gained something from the overall situation, while China is in a passive position. In this case, China hopes to solve the dispute through negotiation, which undoubtedly faces great difficulties.
The Diaoyu Islands dispute between China and Japan is not only a legacy of history, but also a real trouble in Sino-Japanese relations. The strategic position of Diaoyu Island is very important. The occupation of the island can not only control the important ports and air passages in the northern part of Taiwan Province Province, but also cover large areas along the coast of Chinese mainland, such as Fuzhou, Wenzhou and Ningbo. There are also abundant oil and gas resources near Diaoyu Island. Japan's position on the Diaoyu Islands issue has not slackened, and new control measures have been taken. Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso announced that he would negotiate with the United States to bring the Diaoyu Islands issue into the framework of the Japan-US security treaty. The US government also stated that Diaoyu Island has always been under the administrative jurisdiction of the Japanese government and is applicable to the US-Japan Security Treaty. These circumstances show that the Diaoyu Islands dispute between China and Japan is in danger of escalation, and the possibility of Japan and the United States joining hands has also increased significantly, and the settlement of the Diaoyu Islands dispute will face a more complicated situation.
In recent years, maritime disputes between China, Viet Nam and South China Sea countries have become increasingly prominent, but these disputes have become more serious this year. Countries in the South China Sea adopt the policy of "double acceleration" in disputed waters, namely "accelerating factual occupation" and "accelerating independent development". Vietnam is the only country in the South China Sea that claims complete sovereignty over the Nansha Islands, and it is also the country that has occupied the Nansha Island reef the most. Since the beginning of this year, China has made frequent moves on the South China Sea issue. It not only publicly appointed the "chairmen" of Xisha and Nansha Islands, but also arrested fishermen from Taiwan, and jointly submitted a "delimitation case" to the United Nations on the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles. The exploitation of the South China Sea by Viet Nam and other countries has entered a profitable stage, but there are no oil wells in China so far. It is probably very difficult for people with vested interests to spit out this "fat meat".
Why are these countries so unscrupulous? Because they have all confirmed China's "pulse", that is, in order to seek peaceful development and maintain the stability around it, they will not easily use military means to resolve territorial disputes. Over the years, China has been pursuing a policy of good-neighborliness and friendship, creating a relatively stable surrounding environment. However, it should be pointed out that this kind of stability is also achieved at a great cost, to some extent through tolerance. China has always advocated the settlement of disputes through negotiations, and the leaders of the older generation in China even suggested leaving these issues to future generations, which shows China's sincerity for peace. But under the current circumstances, China cannot ignore the harsh reality. Of course, the negotiating table is backed by strength, but if the other party sees that you won't use strength as a bargaining chip, then the active and passive positions, the strong and weak positions are obviously talked about and not talked about, and what kind of results have a greater impact.
As far as the current situation in China is concerned, the major policy of stabilizing the surrounding areas will certainly remain unchanged, but China should make corresponding military preparations when necessary for the increasingly prominent territorial disputes. This does not mean that "fighting" must be the solution. China needs to concretely stabilize the military deterrence around it, so that countries that have territorial disputes with it dare not act rashly. Whether territorial disputes can be effectively handled will determine whether China can create a long-term and stable surrounding environment and will also affect the long-term development of China in the future. In this regard, it is necessary to have a strategic vision and make necessary preparations politically, economically and militarily.