china’s nine-dash line claim over the south china sea
Nine-Dash Line The Nine-Dash Line—at various times also referred to as the "10-dash line" and the "11-dash line"—refers to the undefined[1], vaguely located, demarcation line used initially by the government of the Republic of China (ROC / Taiwan) and subsequently also by the government of the People's Republic of China (PRC), for their claims of the major part of the South China Sea.[2][3] The contested area in the South China Sea includes the Paracel Islands,[a] the Spratly Islands,[b][4] and various other areas including the Pratas Islands, the Macclesfield Bank and the Scarborough Shoal. The claim encompasses the area of Chinese land reclamation known as the "great wall of sand".[5][6][7][8]