The Spratly Islands cluster over 100 islets, reefs, and atolls in the South China Sea. Multiple countries claim it, including China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. The Spratly Islands are strategically significant due to essential shipping routes and suspected oil and gas resources. The region is heavily disputed, leading to growing pressures and military presence. Despite being mostly uninhabited, the Spratly Islands play a pivotal role in provincial security and geopolitics.

This topic is related to the General Studies Paper I and General Studies Paper II, which covers initiatives directed at understanding the location, features, and significance of the Spratly Islands, maritime geography, and The dispute over Spratly Islands involves territorial claims and disputes between China Sea, directly impacting international relations and regional security, etc. Join UPSC Coaching today to boost your preparation.

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About Spratly Islands

The Spratly Islands are a disputed group of islands in the South China Sea. These islands lie off the Malaysia, Philippines, and southern Vietnam coasts. Taiwan, China, and Vietnam claim it, while Malaysia and the Philippines claim parts. The northeast part of the Spratly Islands is known as Dangerous Ground and is described by many low islands, sunken reefs, and degraded, sunken atolls with coral. Economic activity has included commercial shipping, fishing, guano mining, oil and gas exploitation, and, more lately, tourism.

History

France held the Spratly Islands between 1933 and 1939. Japan occupied the archipelago during World War II and formed it as a submarine base. After the war, the Chinese Nationalist government established a garrison on Itu Aba, which the Nationalists carried after exiting Taiwan in 1949. When Japan renounced its claim to the islands in 1951, Taiwan, mainland China, and Vietnam voiced themselves as the rightful owners and the Philippines added a claim based on proximity in 1955.

Location

The Spratly Islands include over 100 small islands or reefs in the South China Sea. They are located north of insular Malaysia and are approximately midway between Vietnam and the Philippines. 

China and Taiwan border the South China Sea to the north, the Indo-Chinese peninsula (including Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore) to the west, Indonesia and Brunei to the south, and the Philippines to the east (directed to the West Philippine Sea). The Taiwan Strait links it with the East China Sea, and the Luzon Strait with the Philippine Sea (both marginal seas of the Pacific Ocean).

Claims

China, Taiwan, and Vietnam claim them, while Malaysia and the Philippines claim portions. Although Brunei did not claim any territory in the Spratlys, it claims an exclusive economic zone over this area that contained a Spratly reef.

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Climate

The Spratly Islands share a tropical marine climate. High humidity, warm temperatures, and seasonal monsoons mark the tropical marine climate of these islands. Temperatures commonly range between 25°C to 32°C throughout the year over these islands. The islands receive substantial rainfall, particularly during the southwest monsoon from May to October. It brings heavy rains and strong winds. 

The northeast monsoon from November to March brings drier and barely cooler conditions. Due to their location in the South China Sea, the Spratly Islands are also prone to typhoons, mainly during the rainy season. These weather patterns greatly influence the area's marine navigation and military operations, influencing the geopolitical activities of the islands.

Islands

A significant number of them are submerged. Of the 12 primary naturally occurring islets, 90-acre (36-hectare) Itu Aba is the largest. Another, Spratly Island or Storm Island, measures 900 by 1,500 feet (275 by 450 meters). Turtles and seabirds are the only wildlife in these islands. There is no permanent human habitation.

Trade Importance

Around USD 3.37 trillion worth of trade passed through the South China Sea in 2016. causing it to be a vital global trade route. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), 80% of global trade by volume and 70% by value is transported by sea, with 60% passing through Asia and one-third of global shipping moving through the South China Sea.

China, the world's second-largest economy, depends heavily on the South China Sea, with an estimated 64% of its trade passing through the area. In disparity, only 14% of U.S. trade traverses these waters. India depends on the area for roughly 55% of its trade.

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Fishing Ground

The South China Sea is also a rich fishing ground, providing a vital livelihood and food security for millions of people in the region. The Spratly Islands are discovered in one of the world's richest fishing grounds. The area is economically beneficial to surrounding countries. The waters around the islands overflow with marine life, including tuna, sardines, mackerel, and shellfish. These resources help the livelihoods of fishermen from countries like Vietnam, the Philippines, and China.

Illegal fishing, overfishing, and territorial conflicts have heightened provincial competition. Many nations have built networks or stationed patrols to maintain fishing rights. The ample fish stocks make the Spratly Islands important for regional economies and food security.

Coral reefs

Coral reefs are the dominant structures of these islands. The Spratly group includes over 600 coral reefs in total. In April 2015, The New York Times reported that China was using "scores of dredgers" to convert Fiery Cross Reef and several other reefs into military facilities. 

Vegetation

Little vegetation grows on these islands, which are subject to intense monsoons. Larger islands can support tropical forests, scrub forests, coastal scrub, and grasses. It is difficult to determine which species humans have introduced or cultivated. Taiping Island (Itu Aba) was reportedly covered with shrubs, coconut, and mangroves in 1938; pineapple was also cultivated there when it was profitable. Other accounts mention papaya, banana, palm, and even white peach trees growing on one island. A few islands developed as small tourist resorts had soil and trees brought in and planted where none existed.

Wildlife

A total of 2,927 marine species have been recorded in the Spratly Sea, including 776 benthic species, 382 species of hard coral, 524 species of marine fish, 262 species of algae and sea grass, 35 species of seabirds, and 20 species of marine mammals and sea turtles.

The islands with vegetation provide essential habitats for many seabirds and sea turtles. Both the green turtle and the hawksbill turtle previously occurred in numbers adequate to help commercial exploitation. 

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The Spratly Islands conflict involves countries like Vietnam, China, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, and Taiwan, each claiming parts or all of the islands. The dispute centers around sovereignty, driven by the region's strategic location and rich resources, including fisheries and potential oil and gas reserves. 

The Spratly Islands dispute is an ongoing territorial dispute among China, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam concerning "ownership" of the Spratly Islands. It is a group of islands and associated "maritime features" (reefs, banks, cays, etc.) located in the South China Sea. The dispute is depicted by diplomatic stalemate and the employment of military force techniques, such as the occupation of disputed territory to advance national territorial claims. All except Brunei occupy some of the maritime features.

China asserts its claims through the "nine-dash line," while others depend on historical usage and international law, specifically the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Pressures have escalated due to land reclamation, military buildup, and conflicts at sea, making the Spratly Islands one of Asia's most complicated and sensitive territorial disputes.

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