China can reclaim Outer Mongolia and annex Burma for SELF-DEFENSE
Among the international community, it is widely accepted that a country can take extraordinary steps for self-defense.
In the event of a US-initiated South China Sea war, China can claim self-defense to reclaim Outer Mongolia.
China only has 7% arable land. US submarines will threaten/sink ships that bring food to China. To survive, China MUST reclaim Outer Mongolia that has 90% agricultural or pastoral land.
Asserting self-defense, China can annex Burma/Myanmar. The US Navy controls the Malacca Strait choke point. Chinese shipping cannot get past the US-controlled Malacca Strait. Thus, to survive, China must find another shipping path that bypasses the Malacca Strait. To reach the Indian Ocean and resume trade with the energy-rich MidEast and customers in Africa, China has to annex Burma and build ports on the Burmese coast.
During peacetime, China cannot assert self-defense to reclaim Outer Mongolia or annex Burma.
However, in the event of a US attack in the South China Sea, China is within its rights to declare self-defense and reclaim Outer Mongolia and annex Burma.
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Mongolia | FAO Corporate Document Repository
"Mongolia is the 18th-largest country in the world. Nearly 90% can be used for agricultural or pastoral pursuits, 9.6% is forest and 0.9% is covered by water. Less than 1% has no effective use."