South China Sea
Why it Matters?
The U.S. will build naval repair facilities in Palawan, Philippines, near the South China Sea, to support Philippine maritime forces amid rising tensions with China in the disputed region.
What You Should Know?
The South China Sea is an arm of the western Pacific Ocean bordering the Southeast Asian mainland.
It is bordered by China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, and Vietnam.
The sea is connected to the East China Sea via the Taiwan Strait, and to the Philippine Sea via the Luzon Strait.
The South China Sea and East China Sea together form what is referred to as the China Sea.
It contains two major archipelagos — the Paracel Islands (controlled by China) and the Spratly Islands (claimed by multiple nations).
According to the UNCTAD, one-third of the global shipping passes through it, carrying trillions of trades.
It is a major route for crude oil transport from the Persian Gulf and Africa via the Strait of Malacca to East and Southeast Asia (including Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan).
Major ports in the region include Hong Kong, Singapore, and Kaohsiung (Taiwan).