Paracel Islands than famous? A photo

The South China Sea is a single basin for the numerous islands and continental lands of East and South-East Asia. They differ in size and have a different history. Particular importance is the Paracel Islands, the photo of which will be presented below. Further in the article the description of these territories will be given. We will also find out what the Paracel Islands are famous for.

Location:

Paracel Islands are an uninhabited territory, which consists of small-sized land areas and reefs. They are located 230 km from the southern part of the PRC and 200 km from the eastern part of Vietnam. The largest territories, which include the Paracel Islands, are about. Patle, about. Lincoln. In their composition are also about. Triton and Crescent Islands. Paracel Islands, leisure on which is not so popular, as in other similar territories, have undoubted strategic importance.

Disputes

In 1974, the PRC seized the Paracel Islands. At the same time, Vietnam and the Republic of China contested the right to them . Since 1975, North and South Vietnam have united. This happened after the war. At that time, South Vietnam, without US support, could not continue military operations. After unification, Vietnam lost Paracel Islands.

Spratly Islands. Location:

These islands are the archipelago of the South China Sea, which includes more than a hundred small islands, atolls, reefs, and are located in the southwestern part of it. The total area of the archipelago is about 5 km².

Significance for States

Six countries compete for ownership of the islands. These include Vietnam, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan. Despite the small area, the archipelago is of great importance for these states. On the territory there are deposits of oil and gas, and in considerable quantities. Because of the lack of a permanent population, they are used as a fishing area. About 50 islands are occupied by military contingents of Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, China and Taiwan. And although the region does not have ports and harbors, it has four airports.

Chronology

In 1529, the Spratly Islands became the territory of Spain (under the Zaragoz treaty). In 1898, they began to belong first to the US, then to the Philippines. This certifies the Paris Treaty. In 1927, a French ship explored the islands. Three years later, the same state conducted a second expedition, which raised the white flag of France. Two years later, a memorandum was sent to the French government from the PRC, according to which the Spratly Islands received sovereignty, based on the Chinese interpretation of the treaty. It was concluded at the end of the war between France and China. In 1933, several major islands were taken under control by three ships. At the same time the region began to be considered a French territory. However, Japan pointed to the presence in the archipelago of its phosphate mines, thereby calling into question this sovereignty. Based on this, attempts were made to take the territory under Japanese jurisdiction, but France and the United Kingdom protested on this matter. In 1941, Japan was occupied by the occupation of the islands, control of which persisted until the end of World War II. After that, France and the PRC again put forward claims for this territory, and China even sent a military contingent there. In 1982, there was a territorial annexation of the archipelago to Fukhan province, some more areas were captured by the Philippines. A year later the state of Malaysia built on. Layang-Layang naval base and opened a resort, pre-occupied this territory. In 1988, there was a battle between the troops of China and Vietnam, but the PRC won in it, and its control over the area was preserved. In 1995, large-scale negotiations between the two countries began, the topic of which was the overall development of the resources located on the islands. In 2004, the airplanes of the Philippines were shot over the archipelago. Vietnam built the airport, thereby expanding its tourist presence. And the next year after that, Vietnamese sovereignty over the Spratly Islands was declared.

Conflict between China and Vietnam

Paracel Islands in Hainan Province is not the only stumbling block between China and Vietnam. There is a conflict concerning the land border. In 1979, after the retreat of the Chinese army from the northern part of Vietnam, the PRC managed to gain a foothold in some areas of the country. China does not have significant hydrocarbon deposits, but it has a population of more than 1 billion people. Of course, it was painful for him to see how some small countries have prosperity acquired on oil production. Vietnam, in turn, did not want to invite the PRC to take part in the development of its deposits. In his media, he published patriotic articles that mentioned the heroic defense of the Spratly Islands and their current everyday life. China has very much counted on these territories for the location of their naval bases on them.

Peace treaties

Regarding the legal aspect of the issue, Vietnam and China are bound to adhere to the UN Convention, which was adopted in 1982. It should also take into account the ASEAN Declaration adopted in 2002, the essence of which is the peaceful settlement of conflicts within the South China Sea. In addition, there are other acts of an international nature. It would Seem, they should make clarity, but confuse the situation even more. The Geneva agreements concerning Vietnam, which were adopted in 1954, are world-wide recognized. According to their results, two states were formed: the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the Republic of Vietnam. The last belonged to the Paracel Islands and the Spratly Archipelago.

Historical Law

China insists that it can own all the islands located in the South China Sea. At the same time, the state refers to 1958, when Pham Van Dong, then the Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, recognized China for this right. However, this argument is not decisive, although it is quite significant. The statement was made not by the president of Vietnam, but he is endowed with these powers. Therefore, the document can not even be regarded as a contract. In addition, the historical right to this territory is very difficult to prove because of its remote location and the absence of human activity on it for a long time. However, documentation about the expeditions of seafarers from Vietnam to these islands is still preserved. Based on them, you can make sure of an annual visit to the archipelagos by them for different purposes, starting from the existence of the Nguyen dynasty. China, on the contrary, has no evidence of its navigation. The exception is the use of islands by pirates in the role of shelter. In order for China, in addition to Pham Van Dong's statement, to have another argument, historians must prove that they were not pirates, but peaceful Chinese navigators. Relations between Vietnam and China are spasmodic. Then they become heated, then they stabilize again. In addition, China does not conduct any friendly actions, which concern Vietnamese ships. An example of this is the cut cable of the hydrographic vessel of Vietnam, which carried out reconnaissance operations on the territory of the South China Sea. This incident occurred in 2011.