Great Wall of Sand

The Great Wall of Sand is a nickname for China’s large-scale land reclamation and construction of artificial islands and military facilities in the South China Sea.

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Land reclamation: The creation of usable land by filling or draining areas covered by water. Dredging and filling reefs is the physical process behind the artificial islands.
Spratly Islands: A disputed archipelago in the South China Sea claimed in whole or in part by several states. Most of the large Chinese reclamation projects discussed under this nickname are in this archipelago.
South China Sea arbitration: The 2016 tribunal case brought by the Philippines against China under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The ruling addressed the legal status of several features and environmental harm from construction.
Artificial island: A human-made landform constructed in a body of water, often by filling or building on submerged ground. The term describes the result, while the nickname emphasizes its scale and strategic purpose.
Fiery Cross Reef: A reef in the Spratly Islands transformed by China into a large artificial island with military infrastructure. Its runway, harbor, and facilities show the scale of construction.
South China Sea: A marginal sea of the western Pacific bordered by China and several Southeast Asian states. The reclamation campaign unfolded within this contested maritime region.
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea: The international treaty establishing rules for maritime zones, navigation, and ocean resource rights. Its rules frame disputes over what maritime entitlements artificial islands can generate.
Island-building in the South China Sea: The construction and expansion of artificial islands by states in the South China Sea. This neutral description covers activity by China and other claimant states.
Subi Reef: A reef in the Spratly Islands on which China has built an artificial island and military facilities. Its reclaimed land supports infrastructure that was impossible on the original reef.
Nine-dash line: A map line used by China to depict its claims in the South China Sea. The construction is often discussed alongside China’s expansive maritime claims.