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Outline
Geophysical Nature
Natural Resources
Sea Lanes
UN Convention on Law of the Sea
Extent of claims
Physical Occupation
Geo-Strategic Importance
Hainan
Island
Geo-Strategic Importance
Geo-physical Nature
Three main
features
Paracel Islands
Macclesfield
Bank
Spratly Islands
Natural Resources
Hydrocarbon resources
Oil proven reserves R = 7.7 billion barrels
Oil estimates R = 28-213 billion barrels
Natural gas estimates R = 266 trillion cubic feet
Fisheries
Depletion due to over fishing and pollution
Fishermen going further out to disputed waters
High Seas
Military
activities
contested by
China and the
US
Innocent
passage
Claimants:
China
Taiwan
Vietnam
Philippines
Malaysia
Brunei
Chinas 9-dash
U-shaped line
laying claim to
historic
waters (80%
of the South
China Sea)
Overlapping
maritime
zones
EEZs based
on UNCLOS
Chinas
claim to
historic
rights
Features Occupied/Marked
Physical Occupation
Country
Vietnam
Philippines
China
Malaysia
Taiwan
Brunei
Features Occupied
21+
8-10
7-8
5-7
1-2
0
Mischief Reef
South Johnson
Reef (left) and
Fiery Cross
Reef (below)
March 1988 China
and Vietnam fought
a naval
engagement. China
occupied South
Johnson and Fiery
Cross Reefs
High Seas
donut hole
UNCLOS:
islands and
rocks
End of high
seas if EEZs
drawn around
islands
Challenges
Chinas rise and military modernisation
Security dilemma
Hot spots
East China Sea, Taiwan, South China Sea