China tightens administrative control in South China Sea Region
China issued management measures for the Huangyan Dao National Nature Reserve established around Scarborough Shoal, establishing routine patrols and strict enforcement against unauthorized fishing or resource extraction.
- China also conducted military drills near disputed Scarborough Shoal, intensifying territorial tensions in the region.
About South China Sea
- Geographic Location: Strategic marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean bordered by Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Vietnam, connects Pacific and Indian Oceans via Strait of Malacca.
- Nine-Dash Line: China's 1947 nine-dash line claiming ~90% of the South China Sea was declared legally invalid by the 2016 PCA ruling under UNCLOS, which China rejected.
- Disputed Territories
- Paracel Islands: ~130 islands and reefs; controlled by China since 1974 but claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan.
- Spratly Islands: Disputed islands, reefs, and cays claimed by China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei; includes Second Thomas Shoal.
- Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Island): Located within Philippines’ EEZ but claimed by China on historical grounds.
