South China Sea
UNCLOS and Freedom of Navigation
The South China Sea is a semi-enclosed sea with overlapping territorial and maritime claims between China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. China's "nine-dash line" claim, covering roughly 90% of the sea, was ruled inconsistent with UNCLOS (UN Convention on the Law of the Sea) by an Arbitral Tribunal in 2016, a ruling China rejects. The East China Sea is contested primarily between China and Japan over the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands.
- UNCLOS (1982) defines Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) of 200 nautical miles from baselines
- Freedom of navigation and overflight are customary international law principles codified in UNCLOS Articles 87 and 58
- "Militarisation" in this context refers to China's construction of artificial island bases equipped with military infrastructure
● Tracked since April 09, 2026 · last seen July 02, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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