The South China Sea Islands, collectively comprising several archipelago clusters of mostly small uninhabited islands, islets (cays and shoals), reefs / atolls, and seamounts numbering in the …

Mar 2, 2026 · The South China Sea is the largest marginal sea of the western Pacific. Some 1 million to 60 million years ago, it rifted and then collapsed as a result of seafloor spreading.

Sep 17, 2024 · Explore how China’s claims over the South China Sea have antagonized competing countries and track the latest developments with CFR's Global Conflict Tracker.

The South China Sea includes several hundred geographic features, such as small islands, rocks, and reefs, and the majority are located in the Paracel and Spratly Island chains. These island chains …

Mar 4, 2026 · The South China Sea sits at the center of global trade, food security, and territorial disputes that affect countries well beyond Southeast Asia.

Latest news on the South China Sea, including South China Sea conflict, South China Sea dispute, the Philippines, and China military updates.

Feb 26, 2026 · Confrontation, militarisation and US–China rivalry made for choppy waters in the South China Sea in 2025, complicating prospects for an ASEAN–China Code of Conduct.