This is a fairly decent article that does a little better job of describing what is going on than the MSM, which is more committed to pleasing the MIC.
Keep in mind China is watching as NATO is moving facilities (likely including Nuclear Weapons) right up to Russia's boundary. It is not illogical to think it better to push for a larger buffer/boundary. Many of the "old rules" have been breached and a lot of this is a result.
I can't vouch for the rest of the site.
3 Myths about Beijing’s South China Sea ambitions
http://globalriskinsights.com/2016/03/3-myths-about-beijings-south-china-sea-ambitions/
China has been accused of stoking regional tensions in the South China Sea. However, China’s grievances in the dispute have often been misinterpreted – for Beijing, the South China Sea is about national security.
Every few weeks China does something in the South China Sea which heightens tensions in the region. In doing so, it tarnishes its international image and damages important relationships it has spent decades fostering. So why does Beijing continue?
In a dispute as complex as the South China Sea, facts and opinions often become blurred. Here are three myths about China which are commonly thrown around:
"China is acting ‘aggressively’"
To understand China’s moves in the South China Sea is to understand its history and perception of its role in the world. Simply labelling Beijing ‘aggressive’ ignores the point and promulgates the dispute.
First and foremost, Beijing views the South China Sea as a national security issue. Historically, China’s inward-looking focus and neglect of the sea ultimately led to the ‘century of humiliation’ when foreign powers forced Beijing’s hand and opened it up to international trade.
Foreign powers established their own judicial systems in major cities under a system of non-reciprocal extraterritoriality – a concept which still evokes discomfort in China. Whenever Beijing attempted to take a stand, foreign powers would pillage cities along the coast and extract further concessions from the government, commonly known as the Opium Wars.
In the Chinese psyche, the century of humiliation began because Beijing was incapable of defending its coastline. Foreign powers arrived in China through the South China Sea and imposed trade at gunpoint, China’s society and system of governance which had prospered for more than 1000 years was overturned in the space of a few decades.
Therefore, China’s artificial island building and massive ramp up of naval activities is about safeguarding what it perceives as its ‘backyard’ to prevent similar situations from happening again. Similarly, controlling trade flows in the South China Sea is Beijing’s insurance policy against economic crippling. After all, if a trade blockade were erected in the South China Sea, China would stand to lose the most.
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