Based on historical claims of discovery and use going back to the 2nd century AD, both the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan assert sovereignty over virtually all of the South China Sea.
The claim is represented by a nine-dash line, which encompasses more than 80% of the seas.
For its neighbours, the key problem is this: China has never clarified precisely what its nine-dash line in the South China Sea denotes, nor how it is consistent with UNCLOS, which lays out very specific parameters for maritime sovereignty.
China has laid claim not just to territory, but to historical rights of fishing, navigation and resource exploitation that precede UNCLOS.
