Paracel Islands

The Paracel Islands are a group of islands, reefs, and shoals in the South China Sea, controlled by China and claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan.

Battle of the Paracel Islands: A 1974 naval battle in which China took control of the western Paracel Islands from South Vietnam. The battle established China's control over the entire archipelago.
South China Sea: A marginal sea of the western Pacific bordered by Southeast Asian countries and southern China. The Paracels sit in this contested sea and help frame its maritime disputes.
China: A country in East Asia that administers the Paracel Islands. China exercises control over the archipelago and maintains infrastructure there.
Sansha: A prefecture-level city established by China in 2012 to administer islands and waters in the South China Sea. Its administrative seat, Woody Island, is in the Paracels.
French Indochina: A French colonial federation in Southeast Asia that included Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. French colonial administration shaped Vietnam's later claims to the islands.
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea: A 1982 treaty establishing rules for maritime zones, navigation, and ocean-resource rights. Its rules govern the maritime entitlements each claimant can derive from land features.
Vietnam: A country in Southeast Asia that claims sovereignty over the Paracel Islands. Vietnam contests China's control and argues the islands belong to Vietnam.
Woody Island: The largest island in the Paracel Islands, known as Yongxing Island in China and Phu Lam Island in Vietnam. It hosts major Chinese administrative and military facilities in the archipelago.
South Vietnam: A state that existed in southern Vietnam from 1955 until its fall in 1975. South Vietnam administered parts of the Paracels before losing them to China in 1974.
Exclusive economic zone: A maritime zone extending up to 200 nautical miles from a coast, where a state has specified resource rights. Claims to the islands affect potential resource zones in surrounding waters.

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