11 Facts About The South China Sea

1.

South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean.

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2.

South China Sea is a region of tremendous economic and geostrategic importance.

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3.

South China Sea is the dominant term used in English for the sea, and the name in most European languages is equivalent.

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4.

Nan Hai, the South Sea, was one of the Four Seas of Chinese literature.

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5.

South China Sea opened around 45 million years ago when the "Dangerous Ground" rifted away from southern China.

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6.

South China Sea contains over 250 small islands, atolls, cays, shoals, reefs, and sandbars, most of which have no indigenous people, many of which are naturally under water at high tide, and some of which are permanently submerged.

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7.

South China Sea is an extremely significant body of water in a geopolitical sense.

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8.

In 2014 The South China Sea began to drill for oil in waters disputed with Vietnam.

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9.

Generally, China has preferred to resolve competing claims bilaterally, while some ASEAN countries prefer multilateral talks, believing that they are disadvantaged in bilateral negotiations with the much larger China and that because many countries claim the same territory only multilateral talks could effectively resolve the competing claims.

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10.

The South China Sea responded by demanding the US keep out of the issue.

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11.

In May 2014, The South China Sea established an oil rig near the Paracel Islands, leading to multiple incidents between Vietnamese and Chinese ships.

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