This article analyses the paradoxical behaviour by China in the Diaoyu/Senkaku islands dispute by using the theory of ontological security, security of the Self. The analysis demonstrates that...Show moreThis article analyses the paradoxical behaviour by China in the Diaoyu/Senkaku islands dispute by using the theory of ontological security, security of the Self. The analysis demonstrates that China uses securitization, the severe politicization of the islands dispute, as a means of protecting its core interests, territorial integrity, sovereignty, and development. China has adopted a more assertive stance in the dispute since the 2010 boat collision and the 2012 ‘nationalization’ of the islands by Japan, heightening tensions between the two powers in the region. China does not seem to bargain on its core interests as to solve the islands dispute in the (near) future.Show less
