Spratly Islands

The Spratly Islands are scattered across the southern South China Sea, with features ranging from submerged reefs to a few small islands with sparse vegetation. The largest natural island, Taiping Island (also known as Itu Aba), covers about 0.49 square kilometers and is administered by Taiwan. The islands' soils are largely composed of guano and coral sand, limiting agriculture to small-scale vegetable plots and poultry raising.

Marine life is rich, with extensive coral reefs supporting diverse fish populations, sea turtles, and seabirds. The islands serve as critical breeding grounds for green turtles and hawksbill turtles. However, the environment has suffered from construction, dredging, and pollution associated with militarization and fishing activities.

Historical records indicate Chinese and Vietnamese navigators visited the area centuries ago, but formal claims emerged in the 20th century. France claimed the islands in the 1930s while governing Vietnam, and Japan occupied them during World War II. After 1945, the Republic of China (Taiwan) and later the People's Republic of China asserted claims, as did Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia.

The first significant occupation occurred in 1956 when a Philippine businessman, Tomás Cloma, declared the "Freedomland" claim, prompting the Philippines to formalize its claim in 1978. In 1988, a naval clash between China and Vietnam over Johnson South Reef killed over 70 Vietnamese sailors. Since the 2010s, China has built artificial islands with runways and military installations, escalating tensions.

Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), coastal states can claim exclusive economic zones (EEZs) extending 200 nautical miles from their coastlines. The Spratly Islands are located within the EEZs of several littoral states, but their status as rocks or islands capable of generating EEZs is contested. Article 121 of UNCLOS distinguishes between rocks that cannot sustain human habitation and islands that can, complicating claims.

In 2013, the Philippines initiated arbitration against China under UNCLOS. The Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in 2016 that China's historic rights and nine-dash line claims were incompatible with UNCLOS, and that many Spratly features were rocks that cannot generate EEZs. China rejected the ruling, and the islands remain under de facto control of multiple claimants.

Beyond geopolitical wrangling, the Spratlys have supported small civilian populations. Filipino and Chinese fishermen established temporary settlements, and a Philippine naval officer, Artemio Tacuz, and his family lived on Thitu Island (Pag-asa) for years, managing a small school and a chapel. The islands have also been a site of scientific research, with Taiwanese and Vietnamese teams studying coral bleaching and meteorology.

The islands have served as a haven for seabirds and have been a stopover for migratory species. However, the introduction of non-native species through military construction has disrupted local ecosystems. Additionally, the 2016 arbitral ruling found that some features are "low-tide elevations," which cannot be claimed as territory at all, a detail often overlooked in media coverage.

Nine-dash line

A Chinese map line claiming sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, including the Spratlys.

Low-tide elevation

A naturally formed area of land that is above water at low tide but submerged at high tide, which under UNCLOS cannot be appropriated as territory.

Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

A sea zone within 200 nautical miles of a coastal state where it holds special rights over resources.

Arbitration ruling

The 2016 decision by the Permanent Court of Arbitration declaring China's nine-dash line invalid under UNCLOS.