Contention over South China Sea

Places in News: Loaita Island

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Loaita Island

Why in the News?

Philippine forces conducted combat exercises in the South China Sea to practice retaking the Loaita Island in the disputed waters

About Loaita Island 

  • Loaita Island, also known as Kota Island, has an area of 6.45 hectares and is the 10th largest of the naturally-occurring Spratly Islands.
  • The island is administered by the Philippines as part of Kalayaan, Palawan, and is also claimed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
  • Loaita Island fringes the Loaita Bank, which includes shoals and reefs, and its western side features calcarenite outcrops visible at low tide.
  • The island is covered with mangrove bushes, coconut palms, and other small trees.
  • On May 22, 1963, a sovereignty stele was rebuilt on Loaita Island by South Vietnam, marking its claim.
  • The Philippines has stationed soldiers on the island since 1968, and the island contains minimal structures serving as shelters for the soldiers.

What is the South China Sea Dispute?

Loaita Island

  • It is a dispute over territory and sovereignty over ocean areas, and the Paracels and the Spratlys – two island chains claimed in whole or in part by a number of countries.
  • China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei all have competing claims.
  • Alongside the fully-fledged islands, there are dozens of rocky outcrops, atolls, sandbanks, and reefs, such as the Scarborough Shoal.
  • China claims by far the largest portion of territory – an area defined by the “nine-dash line” which stretches hundreds of miles south and east from its most southerly province of Hainan.
  • Beijing says its right to the area goes hundreds of centuries to when the Paracel and Spratly island chains were regarded as integral parts of the Chinese nation.

 

PYQ:

[2018] Consider the following pairs:

Regions sometimes Country mentioned in news

  1. Catalonia — Spain
  2. Crimea — Hungary
  3. Mindanao — Philippines
  4. Oromia — Nigeria

Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

(a) 1, 2 and 3

(b) 3 and 4 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 2 and 4 only

Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

Attend Now

Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

JOIN THE COMMUNITY

Join us across Social Media platforms.

💥Mentorship New Batch Launch
💥Mentorship New Batch Launch