The book chapter studies how the People's Republic of China has tended to de-escalate crisis in the South China Sea and elsewhere during the last three decades. It argues that China tends to back down when risking a major conflagration, amidts heavy rhetoric. China prefers to move forward its positions when it sees a chance to do so without meeting major resistance.
Tønnesson, Stein (2023) When and How China De-escalates in Crises, in Modernizing Deterrence: How China Coerces, Compels, and Deters. Washington DC: The National Bureau of Asian Research (159–174).
