The South China Sea is a single basin for the numerous islands and mainland lands of East and Southeast Asia. They vary in size and have a different history. Of particular importance are the Paracel Islands, photos of which will be presented below. Further in the article, a description of these territories will be given. Let's also find out what the Paracel Islands are famous for.
Location
The Paracel Islands are an uninhabited area that consists of small land areas and reefs. They are located 230 km from the southern part of China and 200 km from the eastern part of Vietnam. The largest territories that include the Paracel Islands are about. Patl, oh Lincoln. They also include Fr. Triton and the Crescent Islands. The Paracel Islands, where vacations are not as popular as in other similar territories, are of undoubted strategic importance.
Disputes
In 1974, the PRC captured the Paracel Islands. At the same time, the right to them was still disputed by Vietnam and the Republic of China. Since 1975, North and South Vietnam have united. ithappened after the end of the war. At that time, South Vietnam, left without the support of the United States, could not continue military operations. After unification, Vietnam lost the Paracel Islands.
Spratly Islands. Location
These islands are an archipelago of the South China Sea, which includes more than a hundred small islands, atolls, reefs, and are located in its southwestern part. The total area of the archipelago is about 5 km².
Meaning for States
Six countries are fighting for possession of the islands at once. These include Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan. Despite the small area, the archipelago is of great importance for these states. On the territory there are deposits of oil and gas, and in significant quantities. Due to the lack of a permanent population, they are used as a fishing area. About fifty islands are occupied by the military contingents of Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, China and Taiwan. Although the region has no ports or harbors, it has four airports.
Chronology
In 1529, the Spratly Islands became a territory of Spain (according to the Treaty of Zaragoza). In 1898, they began to belong first to the United States, then to the Philippines. This is confirmed by the Treaty of Paris. In 1927, a French ship explored the islands. Three years later, the same state conducted a second expedition, as a result of which the white flag of France was raised. Two years later he was senta memorandum to French rule from the PRC, according to which the Spratly Islands received sovereignty based on the Chinese interpretation of the treaty. It was concluded at the end of the war between France and China. In 1933, several of the largest islands were taken under control by three ships. At the same time, the region began to be considered French territory. However, Japan pointed out the presence of its phosphate mines in the archipelago, thereby calling into question this sovereignty.
Based on this, attempts were made to take the territory under Japanese jurisdiction, but France and Great Britain protested about this. In 1941, Japan occupied the islands, control over which was maintained until the end of World War II. After that, France and China again put forward claims to this territory, and China even sent a military contingent there. In 1982, the territorial annexation of the archipelago to the province of Fukhanh took place, and some more sections were captured by the Philippines. A year later, the state of Malaysia built on about. Layang-Layang naval base and opened a resort, having previously occupied this territory. In 1988, a battle took place between the troops of China and Vietnam, but the PRC won it, and its control over the area was preserved. In 1995, large-scale negotiations between these two states began, the theme of which was the general development of the resources located on the islands. In 2004, Philippine planes were shot over the waters of the archipelago. Vietnam built an airport, thereby expanding its touristpresence. And the very next year after that, Vietnamese sovereignty over the Spratly Islands was declared.
China-Vietnam conflict
The Paracel Islands in Hainan Province are not the only stumbling block between China and Vietnam. There is a conflict regarding the land border. In 1979, after the retreat of the Chinese army from the northern part of Vietnam, the PRC was able to gain a foothold in some areas of the country. China does not have significant hydrocarbon deposits, but it has a population of over 1 billion people. Of course, he was saddened to see how some small countries have we alth acquired from oil production. Vietnam, in turn, did not want to invite China to take part in the development of its deposits. In his media, he published patriotic articles that mentioned the heroic defense of the Spratly Islands and their current everyday life. China really counted on these territories for the location of its naval bases on them.
Peace Treaties
On the legal side of the issue, Vietnam and China are required to adhere to the UN Convention, which was adopted in 1982. One should also take into account the ASEAN Declaration adopted in 2002, the essence of which is the peaceful settlement of conflicts within the South China Sea. In addition, there are other acts of an international character. It would seem that they should bring clarity, but confuse the situation even more. The Geneva Accords enjoy worldwide recognition,relating to Vietnam, which were adopted in 1954. According to their results, two states were formed: the DRV and the Republic of Vietnam. The latter belonged to the Paracel Islands and the Spratly archipelago.
Historical law
China insists it can own all the islands in the South China Sea. At the same time, the state refers to 1958, when Pham Van Dong, at that time the Prime Minister of the DRV, recognized this right for China. However, this argument is not decisive, although it is quite weighty. The statement was not made by the President of Vietnam, but it is he who is endowed with these powers. Therefore, the document can not even be considered as a contract. In addition, it is very difficult to prove the historical right to this territory due to its remote location and the absence of human activity on it for a long time. However, documentation of the expeditions of sailors from Vietnam to these islands is still preserved. Based on them, one can be sure of the annual visits to the archipelagos by them for various purposes, starting from the existence of the Nguyen dynasty. China, on the contrary, has no evidence of its navigation. The exception is the use of islands by pirates as a shelter. In order for China, in addition to the statement of Pham Van Dong, to have one more argument, historians must prove that these were not pirates, but peaceful Chinese seafarers. Relations between Vietnam and China are spasmodic. Then they heat up, then they stabilize again. In addition, China does not spend at allfriendly actions that concern Vietnamese ships. An example of this is the cut cable of the Vietnamese hydrographic vessel, which carried out reconnaissance operations in the South China Sea. This incident happened in 2011.
