ABSTRACT
Nanhai, also called the South China Sea, refers to the vast expanse of water stretching from latitude 23°27' North to 3° South and longitude 99°10' to 122°10' East in the southeast of China. It is located between mainland China, the Indochinese Peninsula, Borneo, Palawan, Luzon, and the Taiwan Island of China, and surrounded by Sumatra, Bangka, Borneo, Palawan, Mindoro, Luzon, Taiwan Island, Hainan Island and the Indochinese Peninsula. The Nansha Islands are located in the south of Nanhai Zhudao between latitude 3°40'N and 11°55'N and longitude 109°30'E and 117°50'E. They stretch over 400 nautical miles east to west and over 500 nautical miles north to south, covering an area of more than 820,000 square kilometers.
