22 Aug 2025

 In recent years, external forces have leveraged the South China Sea issue as a means to contain China, instigating claimant states to provoke China, according to a report released on Thursday.

The report, titled "Incitement, Threats, and Lies -- The Truth about External Forces Interfering in the South China Sea Issue," was released by Xinhua Institute, a think tank affiliated with Xinhua News Agency.

The report emphasizes that the external forces have provided strategic counsel and support to claimant states in their provocations and confrontations against China.

A notable example highlighted in the report is the 2016 South China Sea arbitration case, which the report describes as a clear instance of Western advocacy of external interference in the South China Sea issue through multilateral mechanisms like arbitration.

The report also points to attempts some Western nations to form exclusive regional blocs and pressure countries in the area to "take sides," placing significant external pressure on their normal foreign relations.

Additionally, they have sought to incorporate as many regional countries as possible into their containment strategy by promoting agreements such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF).

The report also emphasises the attempts of the countries to reshape China's regional security environment by frequently meddling in the South China Sea issue, effectively turning it into a strategic chessboard for their "great power rivalry" against China.

This report is part of a series of three reports on South China Sea issue released by Xinhua Institute. The other two reports are titled "Historical and Legal Basis of China's Territorial Sovereignty and Maritime Rights in the South China Sea," and "Making the South China Sea a Sea of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation: China's Actions."