[boomboomsubban]

>It is only since Xi became president, that China feels confident to have a more assertive foreign policy.

How so? There hasn't been a sharp rise in military spending, they haven't invaded anywhere, and they've largely maintained their same course on most of the disputed territories.

[magicsmoke]

In comparison to when Mao was around and China was invading Vietnam or funding communist groups across the third world in the 70s, China today is quite tame.

In comparison with China of the 90s and 00s, China of the 10s has definitely been more aggressive. In 1990s when the Philippines grounded an old navy ship on Scarborough Shoal in the south China sea to reinforce their claims, there was barely a peep from China. By the 2010s though, Chinese coast guard ships were harassing Filipino resupply ships to their outposts and China was making it's own island bases.

People think China's being more aggressive since their point of reference is the 90s and 00s, when China was frankly a pushover on the world stage. Chinese freighter gets accused of smuggling chemical weapons to Iran in 1993 and gets held hostage in the Indian ocean before nothing was found? Not even an apology from the US. Chinese embassy gets bombed by NATO forces in 1999? Nothing but words. A Chinese fighter pilot dies in a mid air collision with an American spy plane off of Hainan in 2001? No reparations for the loss of life and expensive military hardware. Anyone would think China was being more aggressive today if their baseline was that.

[boomboomsubban]

>In 1990s when the Philippines grounded an old navy ship on Scarborough Shoal in the south China sea to reinforce their claims, there was barely a peep from China

They engaged in combat with both Vietnam and the Philippines over islands in the 80-90's, and effectively took over Mischief Reef in 94 by building bases on an island. Not to mention what was a huge victory for them in the return of Hong Kong. That was their primary aim for much of those decades.

There probably is some growth in aggression, but nothing like "Xi's waiting for an election before invasion."

[mensetmanusman]

South China Sea

[boomboomsubban]

The border conflict ongoing for their entire existence? Technology has advanced some of the methods, but not drastically different.

[mensetmanusman]

Building artificial islands in disputed territory and then building non-civilian buildings is drastically different.

[boomboomsubban]

Both involve a hostile takeover of disputed territory. One's a more impressive engineering feat, but not drastically different.

edit may have misread your post, unsure if you're comparing or detailing two steps. China has invaded uninhabited islands and built buildings to stake claims for some time. Building the uninhabited island isn't some drastic change.