China has experienced nearly 30 years of reform and opening-up, rapid economic development, significant increase of overall national strength, and China has embarked on a path of peaceful development. China chooses the path of peaceful development is the heritage and development of Chinese traditional "he" cultural, the summary and continuity of practice about 30 years of reform and opening-up, a rational summary for the development of large countries in the history, the choice for the adaptation of the world globalization, and it has conformed to the "peace and development" theme of the age, opened up a new route for development of large countries, and written a new chapter for the history of human development. Chinese peaceful development needs a peaceful international environment. As a large country, China is an important part in the international environment, and China can interact with the international environment through its own efforts, thereby creates an external environment which is beneficial to the Chinese peaceful development. Chinese development is not a challenge to the international system, but it will further promote the integration of China into the international order. After the Cold War, the security and stability of surrounding area has become the primary factor of the peaceful environment around China. Neighboring countries of South China Sea coveted the rich marine resources, and disputed the sovereignty, regardless of the historical fact that China has the sovereignty of South China Sea. The great clamor of South China Sea dispute has brought a serious challenge to Chinese peaceful development.About South China Sea dispute, many scholars at home and abroad carried out extensive study and in-depth explore, and attempted to find alternative solutions through analyses from different perspective. The home scholars mainly demonstrated no doubt on Chinese sovereignty of South China Sea according to the historical evidence and International Law, and focused the feasibility research on the peaceful settlement and common development. In the research, scholars in Taiwan firmly defended the sovereignty of South China Sea, connected the policies of South China Sea with the ones of the mainland, and even advocated expanding the "international space" with South China Sea dispute. Foreign scholars from the controversial countries mainly searched their own evidence through the history and International Law. Other countries mainly researched the related national policies and the impact of South China Sea dispute on the Asia-Pacific pattern. This thesis focuses on the special strategic interests of the South China Sea, explores the effect of South China Sea dispute on Chinese peaceful development, and rationally considers the strategic choice that china resolves the dispute under the peaceful development strategy.Chinese sea power can not effectively control South China Sea because of the long-term weakness in modern period. In today's increasing globalization, with the information technology speeding up, the links between countries in the world become more closely, and the degree of dependence on each other is significantly increased. Competitions among countries are mainly the competition in overall national strength based on the economic strength. China is in the rare period of strategic opportunity for development. South China Sea dispute is the sovereignty challenge that China has to face, and there are hidden troubles which can interrupt Chinese potential strategic opportunity of the peaceful development. At the same time, the existence of the dispute makes handicaps when China faces other territorial sovereignty issues. Abundant mineral resources in South China Sea can well improve the structure of the Chinese mineral resources and enrich the mineral resources reserves for development. Today, with the growing shortage of the world energy supply, the rich oil and gas resources in South China Sea can not only bring abundant business profits, but also provide energy security for Chinese peaceful development. South China Sea is the main channel that the oil in Middle East is transported to China, and it is related to Chinese energy security. South China Sea is an important gateway for Chinese foreign trade. Southeast Asia is an important foreign market of China, and there are important economic interests to China there. So peace and stability of South China Sea is related to Chinese economic security. South China Sea is the gateway to the sea in south China, the safety of South China Sea is related to the necessary strategic space for Chinese peaceful development, and the dispute threatens Chinese national security. South China Sea is an important window for China to the ocean, and it provides strategic support for the marine strategy of peaceful development.China insists long-term friendly foreign policies, the existence of the dispute is a threat to Chinese peaceful image, and is not beneficial to the upgrade of Chinese soft power. China carries out"good neighbors, neighbors as partners, secure neighbors and rich neighbors"foreign policies. The existence of the dispute is a threat to the neighborly and friendly relations between China and neighboring countries in South China Sea, and affects the peaceful and friendly surrounding environment for peaceful development. The countries related to the dispute are the ASEAN members. The dispute threatens the relations of mutual trust and cooperation between China and ASEAN, hinders the process of regional integration and restricts the region to take part in peaceful cooperation and international competition. South China Sea as the world major shipping channel, the existence of the dispute threatens the security and freedom of shipping there, and the security of the world economy. For confronting China, the countries related to the dispute led the external forces into South China Sea and attempted to internationalize the dispute, in order to create opportunities for the countries outside South-East Asia to interfere in the South-East Asia Affairs, provide an excuse to maintain their military presence in neighboring China, and destroy the surrounding security and stability for Chinese peaceful development. The multilateralization and internationalization of South China Sea dispute led to further complication, created more obstacles for the peaceful settlement of the dispute, added chips for the strategic game between China and the large countries outside South-East Asia, and impacted on Chinese participating in the World Game under the peaceful development strategy.It is an inevitable choice for China to settle the dispute peaceably under the peaceful development strategy. China has expanded import channels of oil and gas, and gradually reduced dependence on the energy of South China Sea. China has promoted development and usage of new energy, adjusted the structure of energy consumption, reduced economic dependence on oil and gas, eased the tension of world energy supply, and lowered the prices of oil and gas, thus the economic value of South China Sea area has been weakened, the revenue of oil and gas in South China Sea has been reduced, and the obstacles for settlement of the dispute have been reduced. China has strengthened the cooperation of Neighboring and outside countries to develop the resources in South China Sea, weakened the sovereignty dispute brought by the attraction of resource, and prevented western countries taking the side of other countries because of oil interests. The effective actions that China has taken to protect the safety of shipping in South China Sea will reduce the excuses that external forces interfere in the dispute. The promotion of Chinese necessary strength is an important guarantee for the peaceful settlement of the dispute.The peaceful settlement of the dispute provides a good opportunity for Chinese peaceful image. Chinese peaceful settlement policy promotes the mutual trust and cooperation between China and its neighboring countries, especially ASEAN countries, and promotes regional integration and the peaceful development of surrounding areas. The peaceful settlement of the dispute is an important contribution to world peace, and provides a reference for resolving the territorial disputes between countries. The peaceful settlement of the dispute will make the "China threat" ridiculous, reduce the excuses that external forces interfere in the regional security, and protect the regional security environment. South China Sea dispute is a serious challenge to Chinese peaceful development, and Chinese peaceful development will eventually contribute to a satisfactory solution for South China Sea dispute.
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