The United States and China in Power Transition - Strategic Studies ...

littoral nations to claim the 200 nm EEZs and take possession
of their naturally extended underwater continental
shelves. These new developments prompted
the South China Sea littoral nations to “scramble for
effective occupation” of the islands in the South China
Sea. 112 This scramble for territory continued well into
the 1990s and left the disputes over the South China
Sea islands as follows:
• The Pratas Islands: completely occupied by
Taiwan but disputed by China;
• The Paracel Islands: mostly occupied by China
but disputed by Vietnam;
• The Macclesfield Bank: disputed among China,
Taiwan, and the Philippines;
• The Scarborough Shoal: disputed among China,
Taiwan, and the Philippines;
• The Spratly Islands: disputed among China,
Vietnam, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia,
and Brunei; of the more than 30,000 features,
about 50 are considered to be islands; they are
occupied by the following disputants:
— China: 6;
— Vietnam: 29;
— Malaysia: 5;
— Philippines: 9;
— Taiwan: 1;
— Brunei, none, but has EEZ claims. 113
In the face of these disputed claims, China continues
to hold that it is the owner of all the islands,
reefs, and other features in the South China Sea and
accuses all others of “stealing and occupying China’s
territories (侵占与窃取中国领土).” Vietnam holds the
second largest claim. In addition to disputing China
over the Paracel islands, Vietnam claims ownership
131