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How does this serve to obscure the military basis? By implying they have an economic basis instead, or as well?

I doubt that's much of a net PR win, because either way they would be facing the same charge of trying to claim territory that doesn't belong to them.

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Chinese maritime claims have no basis in law, but they want to maximize their legitimacy anyhow. One avenue is through military dominance, which is very powerful but invites resistance/blowback. By adding claims of intended economic exploitaion, they get a rationale which is non-threatening, and can be used by anyone who wants to avoid conflict with China to say "see, their aims aren't so hostile after all."

They don't have to make the charge go away, they just need to FUD it.

Claiming areas that don't belong to them is one of China's strong points, they do it all the time and there's a dispute in the China Sea that could tie into this

Politics. Claiming areas that don't belong to them is one of the human species persistent activities.

I'll never understand French Polynesia or the Falkland Islands, but there you go.

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