With which countries does China have territorial and territorial sea disputes? Where are they? What are the causes?

China has territorial and maritime disputes with India, Bhutan, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and other countries.

Disputed areas: Southern Tibet, Aksai Chin, northern Bhutan, Diaoyu Islands and affiliated islands (Diaoyutai Islands), Zhongsha Islands (Huangyan Island), Suyan Reef, Xisha Islands, Nansha Islands.

Reason: China’s territorial disputes are mainly caused by historical and resource reasons.

With the introduction of the concept of sovereignty in Western countries and the invasion of Western colonists, the issue of sovereign borders has become increasingly prominent. Under the invasion of Western colonists, China was forced to sign unequal treaties one after another and ceded large tracts of territory.

Extended information

China has always regarded "sacred territory as inviolable" and "resolutely defending national sovereignty" as its principles in handling territorial disputes. In fact, this is also the case in other countries. If we look at the media in India and the Philippines, we will find that they are also righteous and passionate in their territorial disputes with China. They use the same language as the spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the media.

No matter how these territories were illegally occupied from China, over time, they will really feel that they are their own, just like the Old Summer Palace cultural relics collected in the British Museum, they will gradually become heirlooms and become family heirlooms. To "defend to the death", it will not be so easy for the owner to come back. The accumulation of history sometimes adds to the complexity of territorial issues.

If two countries feel that the territory is theirs, in theory they can negotiate and clearly delineate it. But this is difficult to do in reality. Because territory is endowed with sacred meaning. The country's population can be immigrated, its property can be donated, its foreign debt can be exempted, and even its currency issuance and defense rights can be transferred - such as the European Union and the Japan-US Alliance, but only the territory is given the meaning of sacrosanctity.

Under this particular concept, disputes surrounding territory are emotional, irreconcilable and non-negotiable. For China, even if it regains territory by force, it will always be accompanied by a group of resentful neighbors and will always live with the worry of how to maintain these territories. This is by no means a good environment for China’s rise.

Baidu Encyclopedia - Territorial Disputes

People's Daily Online - How can China's rise transcend surrounding territorial disputes?