Why China pays attention to the South China Sea

 A foreigner, who is an expert on China, said the following in a video interview:

a) During the past centuries, China was a land power. But they did not build a navy to conquer other countries.

b) Around 1900, China was invaded by several European nations which come to China by sea.

c) China was worried that its trade routes would be choked if America use its strong navy to block access to China through the South China Sea and the Straits of Malacca.

d) To reduce this risk, China embarked on the Belt and Road initiatives to create new routes for its trade.

e) China also build military bases on the artificial islands in the South China Sea as a defensive measure.

I suspect that the economic resources in the South China Sea is another reason for China's interest, although this was not mentioned by the expert.

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