South China Sea

It is bordered on the north by the shores of South China (hence the name), on the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, on the east by Taiwanese islands and the northwestern Philippines (primarily Luzon, Mindoro, and Palawan), and on the south by Borneo, eastern Sumatra, and the Bangka Belitung Islands, with a total area of around 3,500,000 km2 (1,400,000 sq mi). 

The Taiwan Strait connects it to the East China Sea, the Philippine Sea to the Luzon Strait, the Sulu Sea to the Mindoro and Balabac Straits, the Strait of Malacca to the Strait of Singapore, and the Java Sea to the Karimata and Bangka Straits. The South China Sea is an extremely important economic and geostrategic region. It is home to one-third of the world’s maritime shipping, carrying nearly $3 trillion in annual trade.  

Its seabed is thought to contain vast oil and natural gas deposits. It also features valuable fisheries, which are critical for millions of Southeast Asians’ food security. Multiple countries claim sovereignty over the South China Sea Islands, which consist of several archipelago clusters of primarily small uninhabited islands, islets (cays and shoals),

The strategic importance of South China sea

• The South China Sea, which covers approximately 3.5 million square kilometres and is encircled by the ASEAN states, China, and Taiwan, has grown in strategic importance as the global geopolitical and geoeconomic centre of gravity has shifted towards Asia in recent decades; it hosts shipping routes, fish stocks, hydrocarbon reserves, and rich biodiversity.  
• Although various littoral governments have made rival claims. The South China Sea is one of the world’s most important commercial and ecological regions. The South China Sea is home to more than half of the world’s fishing fleets, and millions of people rely on these waters for their food and livelihood.
• The South China Sea, on the other hand, has been severely overfished. Since the 1950s, total fish supplies have been decimated by 70 to 95 percent. According to a report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, coral reefs, which are critical to marine habitats, have been falling by 16 percent every decade.
•  More than a dozen overlapping and interconnected battles over who is in charge of the different islands, rocks, shoals, and reefs spread around the region are also raging.

What are South China Sea Countries?

The South China Sea plays an important role in Indo-Pacific geopolitics. Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines all border the South China Sea. Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam are all countries in Southeast Asia. A considerable share of the world’s commercial merchant shipping passes through these seas as a result of their recent economic expansion. 

Although the availability of diversionary sea lanes avoiding the South China Sea offers non-littoral governments some flexibility in this regard, Japan and South Korea rely extensively on the South China Sea for their supply of fuels and raw materials, as well as an export route. The South China Sea also has abundant fishing grounds that are unregulated and over-exploited, as well as huge undiscovered oil and gas reserves.The South China Sea has long been a source of conflict and suspicion due to competing claims of territorial control over islands and other features. 

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which was signed in 1982 and entered into force in 1994, provides a legal framework to balance coastal.UNCLOS establishes the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Define South China Sea economic importance

The enormous runoff of nutrient-laden waters from land, as well as upwellings of water in particular places of the sea, contribute to this abundance. However, the sea is widely fished and is the main supply of animal protein for Southeast Asia’s densely populated region. 

Tuna, mackerel, croaker, anchovy, shrimp, and shellfish are among the most abundant. Almost the majority of the catch is consumed on the spot, either fresh or preserved.Some of the world’s most vital shipping lanes run through the South China Sea. 

The Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea are the principal routes to and from Pacific and Indian Ocean ports. Oil and minerals tend to go north, whereas food and manufactured commodities tend to move south. Some regions of the middle South China Sea are poorly surveyed, and nautical charts indicate “hazardous ground.” International territorial disputes, particularly over the Spratly Islands, have recently resulted in a “dangerous” categorization.

Conclusion 

It is bordered on the north by the shores of South China , on the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, on the east by Taiwanese islands and the northwestern Philippines (primarily Luzon, Mindoro, and Palawan), and on the south by Borneo, eastern Sumatra, and the Bangka Belitung Islands, with a total area of around 3,500,000 km2. The Taiwan Strait connects it to the East China Sea, the Philippine Sea to the Luzon Strait, the Sulu Sea to the Mindoro and Balabac Straits, the Strait of Malacca to the Strait of Singapore, and the Java Sea to the Karimata and Bangka Straits. Multiple countries claim sovereignty over the South China Sea Islands, which consist of several archipelago clusters of primarily small uninhabited islands, islets, The strategic importance of South China sea The South China Sea, which covers approximately 3. The South China Sea is one of the world’s most important commercial and ecological regions.