South China Sea

About South China Sea:

• It is an arm of the western Pacific Ocean that borders the Southeast Asian mainland. 
• Boundaries: It is bordered by China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, and Vietnam.
• It is connected by the Taiwan Strait with the East China Sea and by the Luzon Strait with the Philippine Sea (both marginal seas of the Pacific Ocean).
• The South China Sea and the East China Sea together form the China Sea.
• The two major archipelagos are known as the Paracel Islands, controlled by China, and the Spratly Islands.
• Climate: Weather in the sea is tropical and largely controlled by monsoons.
• It is the second most used sea lane in the world. It is a significant trade route for crude oil from the Persian Gulf and Africa through the Strait of Malacca to Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan. 
• Major Ports: Hong Kong, Singapore, and Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan.

What is the South China Sea dispute?

• Several countries claim various parts of the sea, and these claims often overlap.
• In particular, China's sweeping claims - which include sovereignty claims over land parcels and their adjacent waters - have angered competing claimants like Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.
• Other countries have staked claims on islands and various zones in the sea, such as the Paracels and the Spratlys.
• Nine-dash line:
  • China claims by far the largest portion of territory in an area demarcated by its so-called "nine-dash line".
  • The line comprises nine dashes, which extend hundreds of miles south and east from its most southerly province of Hainan.