In Awe of Treasures Under the South China Sea

The South China Sea (SCS) is a breathtaking expanse of crystal-clear blue waters, spanning approximately 3,500,000km² with an average depth of 1.2km. This marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean is bordered by China in the north, Vietnam in the west, Taiwan and the north-western Philippines in the east, and encircled by Borneo, the east coast of the Malay Peninsula and the southern limit of the Gulf of Thailand in the south. It is adorned with hundreds of small, uninhabited islands, islets, cays, shoals, reefs, atolls and seamounts. The SCS is a treasure trove of marine life and natural resources, making it a focal point for several countries and a spark for complex territorial claims.