Comments on the issue of South China Sea

(1) By the law of sea, merely discovery of an island does not guarantee a sovereignty.

(2) The first time China sent its stationed troop to Nansha Islands (Taiping) is 1910 by the navy minister Li Zhun. Due to the Xin Hai Revolution of 1911, they starved there soon.

(3) The sovereignty over one island does not guarantee the sovereignty over uninhabited surrounding islands unless the military takes regular patrol around them.

(4) The sovereignty over one island grants China the territory claim 12 nautical miles around it, not the entire sea.

(5) Zeng Mu An Sha is 20 meters below sea-level. It can not be a basis for a territory claim. Its original name is James, after its discoverer. Zeng Mu was made up arbitarily by the ROC government.

(6) The PRC declared in 50's (signed by Zhou En Lai), that Yellow Sea and Bo Hai are China's inner seas, East Sea (including the Taiwan Strait) and South Sea are open waters.

(7) China has been asked by foreign countries the historical or legal background for Chinese maps about the South Sea. The PRC foreign ministry has not been able to give an answer.

Source: http://www.paracels.com