Similar to numerous passive margins worldwide, the development of the rifted continental margins of the South China Sea (SCS) comprises a complicated tectonic past advancing from rift localisation and lithospheric reduction to continental break-up and seafloor extension. The tectonic history of the SCS has been evidently affected by several important regional factors, including Mesozoic inherited structures and the initial thermal regime of a back-arc setting. Furthermore, recent findings from an IODP cruise have provided convincing evidence that the typical end-member models of magma-rich or magma-poor rifted margins do not apply to the South China Sea. With this in mind, the aim of this project is to explore the reasons behind and the mechanisms driving the unique tectonic history and ultimate architecture of the rifted margins in the South China Sea back-arc region. Using advanced numerical modelling tools, this programme will concentrate on the cross-scale geodynamic evolution and thermal development of the South China Sea.