Moral Realism and the Policy Preference of China and the US Towards the South China Sea

Abstract

Moral realism is an important theory in the Chinese School of International relations theory, it argues that the political leadership of each state has a decisive influence on policy preferences. This paper used the moral realism model to explain the policy preference of China and America in the South China Sea. It found that it can explain the restraint and confrontation of both sides, but failed to justify the tension between China and its neighboring countries.