China’s political decisions have always been largely informed by the limitations of its geography. During the formative period of the Han empire, the fertile heartland of China lent itself to agrarian purposes, which made it defenseless against external forces. Back in a day, the main danger was violent nomadic tribes stemming from Mongolia. Surely, this factor has been rendered irrelevant today; yet, China still seeks to protect its heartland by strengthening its borders. The book “Prisoners of Geography” provides a compelling geopolitical perspective on China’s interest in Tibet. Its annexation in the 20th century was purposeful: it was done to prevent India from pushing into China’s heartland from the South.
Another geographical limitation that China is still attempting to overcome is the fact that the majority of the country’s regions are landlocked. Maritime bases mean a great deal of military leverage and trading opportunity for any country. The Nine-Dash Line on the map reflects the longlasting, ongoing conflict between China and Southeast Asian nations with each of the parties wishing to take control of the South China Sea. The annual global trade in the region generates as many as $5 trillion and contains some of the most strategically significant maritime territories on the planet.
There is no doubt that China’s rapid and aggressive expansion meant more resources and power. At the same time, new territories implied accelerated population growth that in turn, resulted in more people needing social welfare and state support for survival. The need to take care of the quickly growing population informed many Chinese policies. They included the infamous “One family – one child” legislation that has been repealed since 2015 with the limit being extended to two children.