ABSTRACT
From a historical point of view, the Dongsha, Xisha, Zhongsha and Nansha Islands in the South China Sea are part of China’s territory, the southernmost end being James Shoal (Zengmu Ansha) in the Nansha Islands. Related records can date back to the Song and Yuan Dynasties. As China’s seafaring thrived in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, sea voyagers got to know more about China’s maritime space and thus records in this period about the maritime boundaries between China and other countries were more specific. The waters of the South China Sea were placed under the jurisdiction of the naval forces of Yazhou (today’s Sanya). The South China Sea Islands were quite extensive, originating from Chaozhou, Guangdong, and stretching as far as Java, Brunei and Sabah, and Con Dao off the southeast coast of Vietnam.
