Related: East China Sea

Competing territorial claims over the South China Sea and its resources are numerous, with claims for various areas by Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) provides for claims to areas of the ocean to be made using a 200 mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and/ or the continental shelf principle.

Claims by Country
Country	South China Sea	Spratly Islands	Paracel Islands	Gulfof Thailand
Brunei	UNCLOS	no formal claim	no	n/a
Cambodia	not applicable (n/a)	n/a	n/a	UNCLOS
China	all*	all	all	n/a
Indonesia	UNCLOS	no	no	n/a
Malaysia	UNCLOS	3 islands	no	UNCLOS
Philippines	significant portions	8 islands	no	n/a
Taiwan	all*	all	all	n/a
Thailand	n/a	n/a	n/a	UNCLOS
Vietnam	all*	all	all	UNCLOS
*excluding buffer zone along littoral states (calculations for buffer unknown)

Brunei – Brunei’s claim to the South China Sea is limited to its EEZ, which extends to one of the southern reefs of the Spratly Islands. However, Brunei has not made any formal claims to the reef nor to any of the Spratlys. Brunei makes no claims towards any of the Paracel Islands.

Cambodia – Cambodia claims portions of the Gulf of Thailand based upon its EEZ and the continental shelf principle, as well as its history in the Gulf. In 1982, Cambodia signed The Agreement on Historic Waters with Vietnam, setting the stage for later cooperation between the two countries. In 2006, Cambodia and Vietnam announced their intention to share the oil resources of the Gulf of Thailand. Cambodia has no such agreements with either Thailand or Malaysia.

China – China claims almost all of the South China Sea. China claims all of the Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands in Chinese), and occupies several of the islands with its military. In 1974, China seized the Paracel Islands from Vietnam and continues to maintain sovereignty over the islands. Additionally, China claims the Pratas Islands. China’s claims to the South China Sea are based on the EEZ and continental shelf principle as well as historical records of the Han (110 AD) and Ming (1403-1433 AD) Dynasties.

Indonesia – Indonesia’s claim to the South China Sea is limited to the boundaries of the EEZ and continental shelf. Indonesia claims neither the Spratly nor the Paracel Islands.

Malaysia – Malaysia’s claim to the South China Sea is limited to the boundaries of the EEZ and continental shelf. Malaysia claims three islands of the Spratlys, having built a hotel on one and bringing soil from the mainland to raise the level of another. Malaysia makes no claim to the Paracel Islands. Malaysia also claims portions of the Gulf of Thailand, based upon its EEZ and the continental shelf principle. Malaysia signed a cooperative agreement for exploration and development with Thailand in 1979. In 1992, Malaysia and Vietnam signed a Joint Development Areas agreement. Malaysia has no such agreement with Cambodia.

Philippines – The Philippines claim a sizeable portion of the South China Sea. The Philippines occupy eight of the Spratly Islands (Kalayaan in Filipino). The Philippines do not claim the Paracel Islands. Filipino claims are based upon the EEZ and continental shelf principle, as well as a 1956 Filipino explorer’s expedition.

Taiwan – Taiwan claims almost all of the South China Sea. Taiwan claims all of the Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands in Chinese) and has announced its intention to build an airstrip on Taiping. Taiwan claims all of the Paracel Islands. Additionally, Taiwan occupies the Pratas Islands. Taiwan’s claims are based on principles similar to those of China.

Thailand – Thailand claims the Gulf of Thailand based upon its EEZ and the continental shelf principle. Thailand signed a cooperative agreement for exploration and development with Malaysia in 1979. In 1997, Thailand and Vietnam signed an agreement setting the delimitation of their respective sea boundaries. Thailand has no agreements with Cambodia.

Vietnam – Vietnam claims a significant portion of the South China Sea based upon its EEZ and the continental shelf principle. Vietnam claims all of the Spratly Islands (Truong Sa in Vietnamese), and has occupied twenty of them. Vietnam claims all of the Paracel Islands (Hoang Sa in Vietnamese) despite being forcibly ejected by China in 1974. Vietnam also claims the Gulf of Thailand based upon its EEZ and the continental shelf principle. In 1982, Vietnam signed The Agreement on Historic Waters with Cambodia, setting the stage for later cooperation between the two countries. In 2006, Vietnam and Cambodia announced their intention to share the oil resources of the Gulf of Thailand. In 1992, Vietnam and Malaysia signed a Joint Development Areas agreement. In 1997, Vietnam and Thailand signed an agreement setting the delimitation of their respective sea boundaries.