The Philippines denied China’s claim on agreement over the disputed South China Sea region at Second Thomas Shoal.
About South China Sea:
- The South China Sea is a part of the western Pacific Ocean.
- It extends from Singapore and the Strait of Malacca in the southwest, to the Strait of Taiwan in the northeast.
- Bordered by Taiwan and the Philippines to the east, Borneo to the southeast and south, the East coast of Malay Peninsula and the southern part of the Gulf of Thailand.
- The sea connects to the East China Sea via the Taiwan Strait and to the Philippine Sea via the Luzon Strait.
- It borders Brunei, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
Major Disputes in the South China Sea:
- The core of the dispute centres around territorial claims to islands, reefs, and their associated territorial waters.
- China’s nine-dash line claims most of the South China Sea, overlapping with the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
- Disputed areas include:
- Paracel Islands: Controlled by China but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam.
- Spratly Islands: Claimed by China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippines, and Malaysia.
- Scarborough Shoal: Claimed by China, Taiwan, and the Philippines. China maintains control through a constant Coast Guard presence.
- Second Thomas Shoal: A submerged reef near the Spratly Islands.
- Major island and reef formations also include Pratas and the Natuna Islands.
- Around 70 reefs and islets are disputed, with over 90 outposts built by China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Taiwan.
- China has constructed 3,200 acres of new land since 2013 through extensive dredging and artificial island-building, especially in the Paracel and Spratly Islands.
Ref: Source
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