Do you know anything about the vastness of the South China Sea? Its borders seem to have touched the coastal waters of neighboring countries, especially the famous nine-dash line, which is particularly striking in its extension. This line extends all the way to the waters of the Philippines and Vietnam, and has attracted wide attention from the world. Some foreign journalists, however, have questioned China's approach, arguing that China is using its shoreline to oppress other countries. So is this really the case?
In China, the demarcation of the nine-dash line is not arbitrary, and there is a deep historical background and legal basis behind it. So, on what basis is the nine-dash line drawn? Next, let's dig into the truth of this question.
The South China Sea, a vast sea, is undoubtedly the shining pearl of China's waters. Located on the western side of the Pacific Ocean, it has a total area of a staggering 2.1 million square kilometers and is known as the second Persian Gulf. With 350 billion tons of crude oil and 20 billion tons of natural gas resources in this rich sea, it is undoubtedly the world's energy treasure trove.
Located at the intersection of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, the South China Sea is a vital shipping route. Compared to the Suez Canal and the Panama Canal, the South China Sea is self-evidently important, carrying one-third of the world's shipping volume, and is the lifeblood of shipping routes to countries such as Japan and South Korea. It can be seen that the South China Sea occupies a pivotal position in the global shipping system.
The geographical location of the South China Sea is also very unique, it stretches from the southernmost tip of Nanao Island in Shantou, Guangdong Province in the north, to the line of Eluanbi in the south, to Vietnam in the west, the Philippines in the east, and Sumatra Island in Borneo in the south. The abundant resources and strategic position of this sea area have undoubtedly made the South China Sea the focus of global attention.
The nine-dash line presents a unique U-shaped fault pattern, in which the first-line jurisdiction of our current sea area is outlined by the three major straits, the Babuyan Strait, the Balintang Strait and the Bashi Strait, which are 185 kilometers long. It is not only the only route for the Chinese Navy to the western Pacific, but also an important passage for Japanese merchant ships. Continuing south, you will reach the second line, the Northern Luzon Trough, which is about 360 kilometers from the Dongsha Islands and is a significant trench on the islands in the South China Sea, with a length of 160 kilometers and a staggering maximum depth of 3,500 meters.
Further south, the third line is located near the Manila Trench, close to Scarborough Shoal, which is not only a natural barrier between the Spratly Islands and the Philippine islands, but also the deepest of the trenches, with a width of more than 10 kilometers and a length of more than 350 kilometers. Due to its location in an active area of the earth's crust, earthquakes occur from time to time.
The fourth line is located between the Nansha Islands and Palawan Island in the Philippines, dotted with small islands such as Warrior Beach and Haima Beach, constituting the unique scenery of this line, as for the fifth line, it is located between Palawan Island and Nansha, the Nansha Trough runs through it, with a total length of more than 680 meters and a width of more than 80 meters, and Guangxingzi Reef is the most eye-catching island and reef in this sea area, each section of the nine-dash line carries rich geographical characteristics and important strategic significance, and they together constitute a unique maritime territory of the South China Sea.
The Sixth Line is located at the southernmost point of China's borders, close to Malaysia. The area is rich in oil and gas resources, and due to the relatively low sea level, it offers unique conditions for oil and gas exploration, so it has attracted a lot of attention.
The Seventh Line extends to the northeastern part of the Natuna Islands, where it meets the western border of the mainland. On the east side of this line, lies Wan'an Beach, which is not only the only way for mainland ships to enter and exit, but also plays a vital role in maritime traffic, and its strategic position is self-evident.
The Eighth Line is located just over 100 kilometers from us in the eastern part of Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam, which is an important maritime military base in Vietnam's southern part of the country, which is of great significance for maintaining regional peace and stability, while the last line extends to the southeast of Da Nang City, Vietnam, across the sea from Hainan Island on the mainland, becoming another important maritime boundary between the two countries.
When it comes to the origin of the territory of the South China Sea, the demarcation of the nine-dash line is closely adjacent to the coastlines of Vietnam and the Philippines, which is not accidental, but is closely related to the interests and development of various countries. The formation of this geographical pattern not only reflects the actual existence and interests of various countries in the South China Sea, but also reflects the complex political, economic, and security relations in the region.
As early as the Western Han Dynasty, China set sail on the coast of the South China Sea in simple boats, and later established two counties of Zhuya and Daer to govern this sea area. Until the eighteenth year of the founding of the Han Dynasty, the geographical name of the South China Sea began to appear in the annals of history, and the Xisha Islands at that time were known as thousands of miles of Changsha, but limited by the navigation technology at that time, we can only glimpse the local waters of the Dongsha and Xisha Islands.
In the Sui and Tang dynasties, the vigorous development of the shipbuilding industry led to the prosperity of the fishing industry, and the islands of the South China Sea gradually came under the jurisdiction of the Guangnan Navy. At this time, with the budding of maritime trade, piracy activities were also becoming more and more rampant, so the Maritime Patrol Silk Road was set up to patrol this sea area full-time to ensure the tranquility of the maritime frontier.
Zheng He, the great navigator of the Ming Dynasty, led a huge fleet to sail out to sea, and the group of islands he discovered was later named the South China Sea, a name that is still used today, until the Qing Dynasty, China's maps have fully marked the existence of the South China Sea, and Vietnam, the Philippines and other countries were at that time a mainland vassal, they did not have enough strength to rule the South China Sea, so for a long time, the South China Sea was controlled by the mainland.
In 1947, China officially released the geographical information of Nanhai Zhudao, outlining the boundaries of the sea area with 11 clear lines, a move that did not provoke any international or international objection from neighboring countries. However, the historical changes of the Beibu Gulf are quite tortuous. Originally, there were two boundaries here, but the vicissitudes of history made Bailongwei Island finally belong to Vietnam. In 1953, the boundary of the Gulf of Tonkin was revoked and the original 11-dash line was adjusted to a nine-dash line, thus re-establishing the boundaries of China's territory in the South China Sea.
With the rapid development of science and technology, neighboring countries have stepped up the development and utilization of resources in the South China Sea, and in the process, countries such as Vietnam and the Philippines have continuously violated the territorial sovereignty of the mainland, which has made us have a deeper understanding of the importance of the South China Sea. To strengthen the management of the South China Sea, China established the city of Sansha and is committed to building new territory in the South China Sea. Woody Island is one of the most important ways to expand our territory in this area, which has been carefully developed to cover an area of 308 square kilometers.
However, the territorial dispute did not subside, and in the Battle of the Paracels, Vietnam forcibly occupied the mainland's coral islands and incorporated them into its territory, and in 1974, Vietnam sent a fleet to attempt to occupy Ganquan Island and Treasure Island. In the face of this provocation, the Chinese Navy made a decisive move, successfully sinking one Vietnamese battleship and crushing the rest of the enemy ships, defending the territorial integrity of the country.
In 1997, the Philippines sent a fleet to land on Scarborough Shoal without authorization, destroying the island markers set up by our side, and forcibly occupying the island, and after several years of hard work, we finally succeeded in regaining ownership of Scarborough Shoal in 2012, once again demonstrating the mainland's firm determination to safeguard its territorial sovereignty.