Editing Spratly Islands (section)

==== Conflicts in the 20th century after World War II ====
[[File:1947_Nanhai_Zhudao.png|alt=Map of the South East China|thumb|290x290px|[[Republic of China (1912–1949)|China]]'s (now [[Taiwan|ROC]] and [[China|PRC]]) [[nine-dash line]] illustrated in a 1947 map of the South China Sea]]

In November 1946, the ROC sent naval ships to take control of the islands after the [[surrender of Japan]].<ref name="king1979p43" /> It had chosen the largest and perhaps the only inhabitable island, [[Taiping Island]], as its base, and it renamed the island under the name of the naval vessel as Taiping. Also following the defeat of Japan at the end of World War II, the ROC re-claimed the entirety of the Spratly Islands (including Taiping Island) after accepting the Japanese surrender of the islands based on the [[1943 Cairo Declaration|Cairo]] and [[Potsdam Declaration]]s. The Republic of China then garrisoned Itu Aba (Taiping) island in 1946 and posted Chinese flags.<ref name="Kivimaki2002" /> The aim of the Republic of China was to block the French claims.<ref name="Severino2011" /><ref name="The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica">{{cite encyclopedia |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |author1=Das, Darshana |author2=Lotha, Gloria |name-list-style=amp |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/561209/Spratly-Islands |title=Spratly Islands |access-date=1 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150520232007/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/561209/Spratly-Islands |archive-date=20 May 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> The Republic of China drew up the map showing the U-shaped claim on the entire South China Sea, showing the Spratly and Paracels in Chinese territory, in 1947.<ref name="Severino2011" /> Japan had renounced all claims to the islands in the 1951 [[San Francisco Peace Treaty]] together with the Paracels, Pratas and other islands captured from the Chinese, and upon these declarations, the government of the Republic of China reasserted its claim to the islands. At the peace conference, South Vietnam declared Vietnamese sovereignty over the Spratlys, but North Vietnam supported China's authority.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ma |first=Xuechan |chapter=Introduction |date=2021-11-20 |title=The Spratly Islands and International Law |pages=1–12 |url=https://brill.com/display/book/9789004504332/BP000001.xml |access-date=2024-09-20 |publisher=Brill Nijhoff |language=en |isbn=978-90-04-50433-2}}</ref> The Chinese [[Kuomintang]] force withdrew from most of the Spratly and Paracel Islands after they retreated to Taiwan from the opposing [[Chinese Communist Party]] due to their losses in the [[Chinese Civil War]] and the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1949.<ref name="encarta" /> Taiwan quietly withdrew troops from Taiping Island in 1950, but then reinstated them in 1956 in response to [[Tomás Cloma]]'s sudden claim to the island as part of [[Free Territory of Freedomland|Freedomland]].<ref>Kivimäki, Timo (2002), War Or Peace in the South China Sea?, Nordic Institute of Asian Studies (NIAS), {{ISBN|87-91114-01-2}}</ref> {{as of|2013}}, Taiping Island is administered by Taiwan.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thediplomat.com/2013/09/taiwans-power-grab-in-the-south-china-sea/|title=Taiwan's Power Grab in the South China Sea|access-date=24 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201084632/https://thediplomat.com/2013/09/taiwans-power-grab-in-the-south-china-sea/|archive-date=1 February 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

After pulling out its garrison in 1950 when the Republic of China evacuated to Taiwan, when the Filipino Tomas Cloma uprooted an ROC flag on Itu Aba laid claim to the Spratly Islands and, Taiwan again regarrisoned Itu Aba in 1956.<ref>{{Harvnb|Morley|Nishihara|1997|pp=125–126}}</ref> In 1946, the Americans allegedly reminded the Philippines at its independence that the Spratly Islands were not Philippine territory, both to not anger [[Chiang Kai-shek]] in China and because the Spratly Islands were not part of the Philippines per the [[Treaty of Paris (1898)|1898 treaty Spain signed with the United States]].<ref name="Kivimaki2002" /> However, no document was found to that effect. The Philippines then claimed the Spratly Islands in 1971 under [[Ferdinand Marcos|President Marcos]], after Taiwanese troops attacked and shot at a Philippine fishing boat on Itu Aba.<ref name="Pak2000">{{cite book |title=The Law of the Sea and Northeast Asia: A Challenge for Cooperation |first=Hŭi-gwŏn |last=Pak |volume=35 of Publications on Ocean Development |edition=illustrated |year=2000 |publisher=Martinus Nijhoff Publishers |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=szcywfgKySAC&pg=PA92 |isbn=978-90-411-1407-5 |pages=91–92 |access-date=16 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101132938/https://books.google.com/books?id=szcywfgKySAC&pg=PA92 |archive-date=1 January 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Taiwan's garrison from 1946 to 1950 and 1956-now on Itu Aba represents an "effective occupation" of the Spratly Islands.<ref name="Pak2000" /><ref name="Lin2008">{{cite news |last=Lin |first=Cheng-yi |date=22 February 2008 |title=Buffer benefits in Spratly initiative |url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/JB22Ad02.html |newspaper=Asia Times Online |access-date=14 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019105844/http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/JB22Ad02.html |archive-date=19 October 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> China established a coastal defence system against Japanese pirates or smugglers.<ref name="Pak2000p81">{{Harvnb|Pak|2000|p=81}}</ref>

[[File:Bia VNCH Truong Sa - Republic of Vietnam Spratly Islands Territorial Marker.JPG|thumb|upright|Territorial monument of the [[Republic of Vietnam]] (South Vietnam) on [[Southwest Cay]], Spratly Islands, defining the cay as part of Vietnamese territory ([[Phước Tuy Province]]). Used from 22 August 1956 until 1975, when replaced by another one from the [[Socialist Republic of Vietnam]] (successor state after the [[Fall of Saigon]])]]

In 1958, China issued a declaration defining its territorial waters that encompassed the Spratly Islands. [[North Vietnam]]'s prime minister, [[Phạm Văn Đồng]], sent a formal note to [[Zhou Enlai]], stating that the Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) respected the Chinese decision regarding the {{convert|12|nmi|km mi|adj=on|abbr=on}} limit of territorial waters.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mfa.gov.cn/mfa_chn/zyxw_602251/W020140608602937535933.zip|title=中华人民共和国外交部|access-date=9 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150124004920/http://www.mfa.gov.cn/mfa_chn/zyxw_602251/W020140608602937535933.zip|archive-date=24 January 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> While accepting the 12-nmi principal with respect to territorial waters, the letter did not actually address the issue of defining actual territorial boundaries.
North Vietnam recognised China's claims on the Paracels and Spratly Islands during the [[Vietnam War]] as it was being supported by China. Only after winning the war and conquering [[South Vietnam]] did [[North Vietnam]] retract its recognition and admitted it recognised them as part of China to receive aid from China in fighting the Americans.<ref>{{Harvnb|Morley|Nishihara|1997|pp=126–127}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thanhniennews.com/politics/late-vietnam-pms-letter-gives-no-legal-basis-to-chinas-island-claim-26821.html |title=Late Vietnam PM's letter gives no legal basis to China's island claim |author=Thao Vi |date=2 June 2014 |publisher=Thanh Nien News |access-date=7 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315081937/http://www.thanhniennews.com/politics/late-vietnam-pms-letter-gives-no-legal-basis-to-chinas-island-claim-26821.html |archive-date=15 March 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 1987, China installed a small military structure on [[Fiery Cross Reef]] under the pretext of building an oceanic observation station and installing a [[tide gauge]] for the [[Global Sea Level Observing System]].<ref>Chanda, Nayan. "Treacherous Shoals." [[Far Eastern Economic Review]]. 13 August 1992: p14-17</ref>{{verify source|date=October 2021}} After a [[Johnson South Reef Skirmish|deadly skirmish]] with the Vietnamese Navy, China installed some military structures on more reefs in the vicinity of the Philippines and Vietnamese occupied islands and this led to escalating tensions between these countries and China over the status and ownership of reefs.

In 1988, the Vietnamese and Chinese navies engaged in a [[Johnson South Reef Skirmish|skirmish in the area of Johnson South Reef]] (also called Gạc Ma Reef in Vietnam and Yongshu Reef in China).<ref>{{cite news|last=Malig|first=Jojo|title=Chinese ships eye 'bumper harvest' in Spratly|url=http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/07/16/12/chinese-ships-eye-bumper-harvest-mabini-reef|access-date=29 October 2013|newspaper=ABS CBN News|date=17 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121006054737/http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/07/16/12/chinese-ships-eye-bumper-harvest-mabini-reef|archive-date=6 October 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>

Under President [[Lee Teng-hui]], Taiwan stated that "legally, historically, geographically, or in reality", all of the South China Sea and Spratly islands were Taiwan's territory and under Taiwanese sovereignty, and denounced actions undertaken there by Malaysia and the Philippines, in a statement on 13 July 1999 released by the foreign ministry of Taiwan.<ref>{{cite news |author=STRATFOR |date=14 July 1999 |title=Taiwan sticks to its guns, to U.S. chagrin |publisher=Asia Times |work=STRATFOR's Global Intelligence Update |url=http://www.atimes.com/china/AG15Ad01.html |access-date=10 March 2014 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140325150303/http://www.atimes.com/china/AG15Ad01.html |archive-date=25 March 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Taiwan and China's claims "mirror" each other; during international talks involving the Spratly islands, China and Taiwan have cooperated with each other since both have the same claims.<ref name="Pak2000" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Sisci |first=Francesco |date=29 June 2010 |title=US toe-dipping muddies South China Sea |url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/LG29Ad01.html |newspaper=Asia Times Online |access-date=14 May 2014 |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20130710122041/http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/LG29Ad01.html |archive-date=10 July 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

It was unclear whether France continued its claim to the islands after World War II, since none of the islands, other than Taiping Island, was habitable. The [[South Vietnam]]ese government took over the [[Trường Sa]] administration after the defeat of the French at the end of the [[First Indochina War]]. "The French bestowed its titles, rights, and claims over the two island chains to the Republic of Vietnam (RoV) in accordance with the [[1954 Geneva Conference|Geneva Accords]]", said Nguyen Hong Thao, Associate Professor at Faculty of Law, Vietnam National University.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Nguyen |first=Hong Thao |date=4 May 2012 |title=Vietnam's Position on the Sovereignty over the Paracels & the Spratlys: Its Maritime Claim |url=http://archive.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/obj/irc/doc/pubs/nrcc49212/nrcc49212.pdf |journal=Journal of East Asia International Law, V JEAIL (1) 2012 |access-date=7 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306081414/http://archive.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/obj/irc/doc/pubs/nrcc49212/nrcc49212.pdf |archive-date=6 March 2016}}</ref>

In 1999, a Philippine navy ship (Number 57 – [[BRP Sierra Madre (LT-57)|BRP ''Sierra Madre'']]) was purposely run aground near [[Second Thomas Shoal]] to enable establishment of an outpost. {{As of|2014}} it had not been removed, and Filipino marines have been stationed aboard since the grounding.<ref>{{cite news|last=Keck|first=Zachary|title=Second Thomas Shoal Tensions Intensify|url=https://thediplomat.com/2014/03/second-thomas-shoal-tensions-intensify/|access-date=17 March 2014|newspaper=The Diplomat|date=13 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140317085745/https://thediplomat.com/2014/03/second-thomas-shoal-tensions-intensify/|archive-date=17 March 2014|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=A game of shark and minnow|url=https://www.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2013/10/27/south-china-sea/|access-date=17 March 2014|newspaper=The New York Times|date=24 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170827062045/http://www.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2013/10/27/south-china-sea/|archive-date=27 August 2017|url-status=live|last1=Himmelman |first1=Jeff |last2=Gilbertson |first2=Ashley}}</ref>