Knowra Nine-dash line Nine-dash line The nine-dash line is a segmented line on Chinese maps marking an expansive claim across much of the South China Sea. Its legal meaning and the maritime rights it represents remain disputed.
U-shaped line : A broken line first published on a Chinese map in 1947 to depict claims in the South China Sea. This earlier name and map form preceded the nine-dash line.
Maritime claim : A state's assertion of rights or jurisdiction over an area of sea or its resources. The line is used to indicate claims, though it does not specify their precise legal basis.
Philippines v. China : An arbitration under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea brought by the Philippines against China over South China Sea disputes. The case directly tested the legal basis and effects of China's historic-rights claims within the line.
Historic rights : Rights claimed on the basis of longstanding historical use or authority, whose legal effects depend on applicable law and evidence. China's asserted historic rights have been a central, contested interpretation of the line.
South China Sea Islands Map of 1947 : A Republic of China map that depicted an eleven-segment line around islands in the South China Sea. It is the landmark map from which the modern line developed.
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea : The 1982 international treaty establishing rules for maritime zones, navigation, and ocean resources. Its rules define the maritime entitlements relevant to claims inside the line.
2016 South China Sea arbitration : An arbitral award issued on 12 July 2016 in a dispute initiated by the Philippines against China. The tribunal found no legal basis for historic rights beyond the limits of the Law of the Sea Convention.
Territorial sovereignty : A state's authority over territory, including land and islands, subject to international law. Sovereignty over enclosed islands is a separate question from the line's maritime implications.
People's Republic of China : A sovereign state established in 1949, governed by the Chinese Communist Party. The state adopted the line in its maps and asserts maritime claims associated with it.
Territorial sea : A coastal state's belt of sea, extending up to 12 nautical miles from its baseline, over which it exercises sovereignty. A line on a map does not itself establish territorial seas around every enclosed feature.
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