How Valid Are The South China Sea Claims Under The Law Of The Sea Convention?

Abstract

The South China Sea disputes continue to plague policy-makers and defy solution. Six governments ? China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philip pines, and Brunei ? claim all or some of the islands and rocks in the south central South China Sea, known as the Spratly Islands, as well as all or some of the surrounding sea, seafloor, and associated resources. And all except Brunei have military forces on their claimed features. This article reviews the conflicting claims and recent developments in the context of regional politics and international law, including the law of the sea. China's 1995 occupation of Mischief Reef on the Philippine-claimed con tinental shelf and its 1999 construction of fort-like structures there consider