China

The People’s Republic of China has gone through periodic revolutions and is presently in the formal phase of creating a Harmonious Society. However, the Chinese Communist Party has departed from its former Premier Hu Jintao’s ‘Peaceful Rise’ policy and has transitioned into being more assertive in the international platform. The country is characterised by its authoritarian leadership, technological prowess, economic supremacy, homage to both its recent history as well as its centuries-old Confucianism and finally, its global ambition to consolidate power comprehensively, soft and hard domains included. The consequences of the aforementioned have placed the country in a tough diplomatic period, due to territorial disputes with almost all of its neighbours and claims of holding rights of jurisdiction over Taiwan and Hong Kong. However, the final nail in the coffin of tolerance among the international community was marked by the expansion of its naval presence in the Indian Ocean Region and the South China Sea through its maritime initiatives.