Spratly Islands is a small archipelago in the South China Sea. They have long been the subject of contention between several states that have long been trying to take control. The most beautiful places in the world have become the point of hostilities, irreconcilable disputes between several states.
Geolocation
In the South China Sea, more than 400 different rocks, reefs and other formations, of which about 200 are part of the Spratly archipelago. All of these islands are originally of coral origin. They are low and small. Altitude is not more than 6 meters. Once these island formations were called Coral Islands.
Spartley Islands are located in the waters of the South China Sea. This sea is a semi-enclosed space of the Pacific Basin, located between the shores of Asia, the Indochinese Peninsula and Malacca, off the islands of Sumatra, Kalimantan, Palawan, Mindoro and Taiwan. The South China Sea is rich in islands. Several routes of the largest supertankers in the world pass nearby. According to scientific data, large reserves of oil and gas are concentrated in this area. It is the sea that was originally a strategic object, because its waters are washed by the shores of six large states.
Origin of the islands
Most islands of the archipelago are shallow tides, reefs, rocky cliffs unsuitable for human life, which are also a serious problem for marine vessels. But in terms of strategic and political, these small islands are of great importance at the global level. Indeed, their possession allows the state-owner to claim not only the islands themselves, but also the adjacent water area, including resources. Until the end of the 70s of the last century, there was no interest in lifeless rocky reefs and islands.
The area of the Spratly Islands is an area of about 180 thousand square kilometers. With such an area, the land area itself is only slightly more than 10 square meters. kilometers, including formations temporarily appearing above the surface of the sea. The Spratly Islands are located, the photographs of which are presented in the article, 500 kilometers south of the Paracel Archipelago. Their number is variable, it all depends on weather conditions and low tide periods. All formations are scattered in the sea in the form of an arc with a length of almost 1 thousand kilometers.
Their remoteness from the "big land":
- Kalimantan - 30 km.
- Palawan - 60 km.
- Kamran Vietnamese Sea Port - 460 km.
- Hainan Chinese Island - 970 km.
Pages of history
The history of the Spratly Islands is as follows:
- In the distant year 59 AD, the first mention by the Chinese historians of the islands, which then became known to the geographers of the Han Dynasty, was officially made.
- Only in 1211, the archipelago was first captured on a map of China.
- In 1405, the renowned Chinese navigator Zheng He reached and visited a number of islands.
- In 1478, a ship carrying porcelain dishes wrecked on the reefs of the archipelago.
- In 1530, the navigator Alvarez De Diegos was sent by Albuquerque in search of the Chinese route. At the same time, he visits the western islands of the archipelago.
- In this water area in 1606, the Spaniard Andreas de Pessora calls the island he discovered - Santa Esmeralda Pecuena. It was one of the atolls of the Spratly Archipelago.
- In the 17th century, in the Map of the Paths to the Southern Lands, Do Wa mentions the Spratly Islands, called the Yellow Sands, which belonged to the Chinese province of Quangigai. After that, the ruling dynasty Nguyen begins to send 18 of its ships to the shores of the islands every year.
- Based on Chinese historical notes, data dated 1710 on the declaration of Spratly Island as Chinese possession are presented. At the same time, a small East Key temple is being built on North Island.
- In 1714, three Dutch vessels wrecked off the coast of Spratly. The team is rescued by Vietnamese fishermen. The Dutch are introduced to the emperor and then sent home.
- The Nguyen Emperor approves the Hoang Sha Company to use the islands of the South China Sea. Ships participating in the company can visit all islands 6 times a year.
- From 1730 to 1735, pirates used the Spratly Islands as a starting base for attacks on passing Dutch, English and Portuguese ships. In 1735, the British destroy pirate nests on the archipelago.
- Between 1758 and 1768, French Admiral Charles Hector Theoda visited Vietnam to use the Spratly Archipelago to park his ships. At the same time, he notices the presence of European casting guns removed from ships that have crashed off the coast of the archipelago.
- The historian Le Key Don in 1784 gives a new description of the Coral Islands.
- In 1786, Generalissimo Tai Song gave the order to begin the search on the islands of gold, silver and guns from sunken ships, as well as the procurement of rare fish and shells of turtles. For this, 4 ships are allocated.
- In 1791, the British captain Henry Spratley opened several island formations. He gives them his name officially.
- In 1798, on one of the islands of the Spratly archipelago, the British set up an observation tower. Its ruins are still preserved.
- In 1816, Emperor Zia Long officially proclaimed the sovereignty of Vietnam and its dominion over the Spratly Islands.
- In the period from 1835 to 1847, references to the Paracel Islands and the Spratly Islands are found repeatedly in the documents of the Vietnamese rulers. However, there is no evidence that the islands belong to China.
- In 1847, the emperor of China issued a decree on the sending of warships to the lands of Spratly to study the territory.
- In 1848, the reigning Vietnamese king Nam Ha forms a small military garrison to control the work of foreign fleets on the islands.
- The French historian Dubois de Jansigny in 1850 testifies to the rule on the islands of the King of Vietnam.
- In "An Essay on the History of Vietnam," Nguyen Chong in 1876 mentions the islands as belonging to the lands of the kingdom.
- On the island of Amboyne, the French build a lighthouse in 1887.
- Off the coast of the archipelago in 1895 two ships with a load of copper crashed. The cargo is sought and taken by the residents of Hainan. Great Britain sends a note of protest to the leadership of China. However, it receives an answer that the territory where the crash occurred does not apply to China, and the Chinese government is not responsible for what is happening on the Spratly Islands.
- In 1898, when signing the Spanish-American Treaty, the official borders of the Philippines are indicated, while the territory of Spratly is not included.
- In 1901, Japan seizes Dunsha island by force, and in 1908 sells it to China.
- In 1906, the “Guide to the Geography of China” was published, which clearly defined the country's borders. Spratly Islands not included.
- In June 1909, the governor of the Chinese provinces of Guangdong and Guangxi sent military gunboats to the islands for capture.
- A French expedition in 1925 confirms that the Paracel Islands are part of the state of Vietnam.
- The French on De Lanessan set off for the shores of the Spratly Archipelago to study atolls and phosphate reserves.
- In 1930, on the orders of the Governor General of Indochina, the Spratly Islands were declared French territory.
- In 1933, a military occupation of a number of islands in the South China Sea, including Spratly, took place.
- In December 1933, the Spratly archipelago was incorporated into the province of Kohinhin (China). Spratly Island is called Nansha.
- The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan in March 1939 declares the Spratly Islands Japanese territory. In April, France protests by claiming land rights.
- In 1945, Japan renounced its claim to Spratly. And Chinese troops landed on the archipelago under the pretext of disarming the Japanese soldiers.
- In 1947, an official protest was submitted by France to the Chinese government over the illegal capture of the Spratly Islands. But already in December, a decree was issued on the assignment of the Chinese names Sisha and Nansha to the archipelagos of the Paracel and Spratly islands, respectively. All of them are included in China.
- In 1950, the government forces of China left the islands, hiding in Taiwan.
- The Philippine government claims ownership of the islands in 1951. China protests. The Vietnamese government of Bao Dai declares its dominance. At the same time, Japan completely abandoned its claims.
- In 1956, political and military clashes took place between the Philippines, China, and Vietnam. France informs about its legal rights to the island of Spratly.
- Until 1974, six countries debated over ownership of the archipelago. Different islands went to different states.
- In January 1974, the first bombardment of some islands by China was carried out. The Vietnamese government turned to the UN for help. Then the Vietnamese Foreign Minister turned to the United States for help.
- Until 1988, there were minimal skirmishes about the division of the territory of the islands in the waters of the South China Sea. In 1984, Brunei joined the debate.
- In 1988, an armed conflict occurred. The battle for the Spratly Islands occurred between the military of the PRC and Vietnam in the Johnson Reef area of the Spratly Islands group. At the same time, 70 Vietnamese sailors died. The battle of the 1988 Spratly Islands was the bloodiest of all over the entire period of controversy and claims. The death toll of Chinese soldiers has not been established.
- Until 1996, bloodless land seizures were carried out. In January 1996, an artillery battle took place between Filipino and Chinese warships.
- Until now, territorial disputes have not subsided, but have moved into a peaceful direction.
Disputes around Spratly
Territorial disputes, the center of which was the island of Spratly, its belonging to any state, were on the basis of various reasons, the main of which:
- Geopolitical motives.
- Control over transport routes.
- Presence in the region.
- Expansion of borders and economic zones.
- Mastering all the natural resources of the region.
At the same time, no state claiming them is planning to make a full voluntary waiver of the right to Spratly. However, a new state appeared, claiming its interests in relation to the archipelago.
This is the United States, the country's interest is oil. All islands are recognized as promising for hydrocarbons.
Island control
At present, a difficult situation has developed in the waters of the South China Sea. The alignment of forces and accessories of a number of Spratly islands is as follows:
- China controls 9 atolls of the archipelago.
- The garrisons of Vietnam are located on 21 islands.
- The Philippines presents themselves on 8 islands.
- Malaysia controls 3 islets.
- Taiwan's troops are located on the largest island of Taipingdao.
- The remaining islands remain free (relatively).
Application of the Sea Law
Now only the "Law of the Sea" can determine the position of the islands. Now it is an “effective occupation”. That is, by law, no state in the world has the right to claim the economic zone of territorial waters or capture the adjacent shelf. This is possible only with the settlement of the islands and conducting economic activity on them. But most of these islands are so small or periodically flooded that they cannot talk about their settlement.
Confrontation Settlement
That is why in 1994 steps were taken to peaceful resolution of the conflict. A resolution was adopted on the ratification of the UN Convention. Vietnam and China came to an unspoken consensus, deciding to postpone answers to questions about the sovereignty of the Spratly Islands for 50 years. It was decided to jointly develop natural resources on a bilateral basis.
Construction of artificial islands
However, official Beijing has stepped up its efforts to develop the shelf since 2002. Work began on the construction of artificial islands. These are trump cards in conflict with other states. After settling these islands, China will gain power over them.
Artificial islands in the Spratly archipelago - a paradise for tourists. But so far only the military has settled them. China is slowly expanding the territory of "its" islands in the South China Sea. These formations will be able to withstand any buildings and structures. China is annoying the United States, playing God, doing island-building, turning rocky atolls into beautiful islands with white sandy beaches and green spaces. On one of the former reefs, a landing strip and a greenhouse were built. There are already 4 airfields on the artificial islands.
In addition to political goals, China pursues economic interests in the construction of islands. The creation of artificial islands will allow China to make exclusive claims for territorial waters within 200 miles. The United States has declared the non-recognition of China's artificial islands in the waters of the South China Sea since 2012, but there are no force measures.
Now, with the help of an artificial increase in land, China has been able to expand its holdings by 1.5 square kilometers. An increase in the area of the islands will allow the addition of neighboring reefs, atolls and islands over time.
When looking at the results of China's work, one gets the feeling that the Spratly Islands vacation for tourists will be able to provide complete bliss. If the construction of the islands reaches its climax, if all the necessary infrastructure for a comfortable stay appears, then Spratly will become the “Mecca” of world tourism. In addition, the climatic conditions and geolocation of the islands meet all the criteria for a place for a good vacation.