Source: TOI
Context: The United States Navy will construct two military boat repair facilities in Palawan, Philippines, facing the South China Sea, to strengthen maritime security amid rising tensions with China in the contested region.
About South China Sea:
- What It Is?
- The South China Sea is the largest marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, known for its strategic and economic importance due to rich marine biodiversity, oil reserves, and critical shipping lanes.
- Location:
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- Located between Southeast Asia and China, it connects to the Pacific via the Luzon Strait and to the Indian Ocean through the Strait of Malacca.
- Major geographic features include:
- China Sea Basin: Deepest point (~5,000 m).
- Palawan Trough and Sunda Shelf: Vital undersea features.
- Neighbouring Nations:
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- Direct claimants or stakeholders include: China, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan.
- The sea borders the Philippines (east), Vietnam (west), Malaysia & Borneo (south), and China (north).
- Disputes & Strategic Importance:
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- China claims nearly 90% of the sea under its “Nine-Dash Line,” overlapping with EEZs of ASEAN countries.
- Key flashpoints:
- Spratly Islands, Paracel Islands, Scarborough Shoal.
- Frequent standoffs between Chinese and Philippine vessels.
- The sea is a major global trade route and is central to U.S.–China strategic rivalry.
- Rivers Draining into It:
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- Major rivers:
- Mekong River (Vietnam)
- Red River
- Other smaller rivers from Malaysia, Philippines, and China.
- Major rivers:
