South China Sea

The contested marginal sea of the western Pacific/Oceans & Seas

The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean covering about 3.5 million square kilometers, bounded by China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Borneo, Indonesia, the Malay Peninsula, and Vietnam. It has an average depth of 1,060 m and a maximum depth of 5,016 m in the Manila Trench. Roughly one-third of the world's shipping passes through it, carrying over $3 trillion in trade annually. The sea contains numerous disputed islands, reefs, and atolls, including the Spratly and Paracel Islands.