Explainer | South China Sea: the dispute that could start a military conflict

China is just one of a number of countries to claim sovereignty over part of the maritime area, which is believed to harbour a wealth of oil and natural gas reserves

The sea is the focus of intense military interest, with Beijing establishing outposts on artificial islands and the US Navy mounting freedom-of-navigation patrols

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China's Ministry of Transport opened a maritime rescue centre on Fiery Cross Reef in the South China Sea in early 2019. Source: People's Daily

Published: 5:00pm, 11 Aug 2020Updated: 5:00pm, 11 Aug 2020

The South China Sea is one of the world’s busiest waterways and rich in natural resources. It is also one of the most contested maritime areas, with various countries, including China, Vietnam and the Philippines claiming sovereignty.

The United States is not a claimant but it does have strategic interests in the area and its military conducts regular patrols.

Tensions escalated in mid-July when, for the first time, the US formally opposed China’s claim to almost all of the waters, calling it “completely unlawful” under the international law of the sea.

Analysts have warned that the dispute could be a tipping point for military conflict. The Chinese air force of the People’s Liberation Army has conducted live-fire drills in the area as recently as July in response to the US Navy’s own drills and freedom-of-navigation operations.

But tensions have simmered for some time. Satellite images show that China has built artificial islands and military facilities in parts of the South China Sea, much to the opposition of other claimants.

In 2016, an international tribunal in The Hague found that China violated the Philippines’ sovereign rights in the waters by interfering with fishing and oil exploration and building islands on marine features such as reefs.