We investigated the mean kinetic energy (MKE) and eddy kinetic energy (EKE) in the South China Sea to illustrate the dynamics of the vertically rotating cyclonic–anticyclonic–cyclonic (CAC) circulation in the upper, middle, and deep layers. We found that strong MKE along the basin slope and the associated EKE arising from the vertical shear and stratification of the mean current characterize the circulation. In the upper layer, the external MKE input from the Kuroshio intrusion and wind forcing drive the cyclonic circulation, with the wind forcing providing most of the EKE. External forcing, however, does not directly provide the MKE and EKE of the CAC circulation in the semi-enclosed middle and deep layers, where the internal pressure work near Luzon Strait and the vertical buoyancy flux (VBF) in the southern basin and along the western slope maintain the MKE and EKE. The internal pressure work is formed by ageostrophic motion and pressure gradient field associated with circulation. The VBF is generated by vertical motion induced by the geostrophic cross-isobath transport along the slope where variable density field is maintained by the external flow and the internal mixing. The kinetic energy pathway in the CAC circulation indicates that the external forcing dominates upper-layer circulation and the coupling between internal and external dynamics is crucial for maintaining the circulation in the middle and deep layers. This study provides a new interpretation to the maintenance of CAC circulation from energy prospect.