CURRENT AFFAIRS

Detailed explanation-1: -Territorial disputes in the South China Sea involve conflicting island and maritime claims in the region by several sovereign states, namely Brunei, the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Taiwan (Republic of China/ROC), Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Vietnam.

Detailed explanation-2: -Several countries are bordering the South China Sea; there are peninsular Malaysia, Thailand (via the Gulf of Thailand), Singapore, as well as East Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia on Borneo (Kalimantan).

Detailed explanation-3: -In this decade-long dispute, China claims its sovereignty over more than 80 percent of the territory while Vietnam claims over the Paracel Islands and the Spratly Islands.

Detailed explanation-4: -Chinese activities in the South China Sea date back over 2, 000 years. As early as the 2nd century B.C., Chinese sailors explored the South China Sea and discovered what they called Nanhai Zhudao (aka the South China Sea islands).