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[[File:SouthChinaSea.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Disputed claims in the South China Sea.]]

[[File:SouthChinaSea.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Disputed claims in the South China Sea.]]

====South China Sea====

===South China Sea===

The South China Sea lies to the south of the China mainland and is bounded by the coastlines of the People's Republic of China (PRC), [[Vietnam]], [[Malaysia]], [[Brunei]], the [[Philippines]], and [[Taiwan]].  In the south-west it becomes the Gulf of Thailand. To the south the Serat Karimata gives access to the Java Sea; to the east the Balabac and Mindoro straits give access to the Sulu Sea and the Luzon Strait north of the Philippines gives access to the [[Pacific Ocean]]. The South China Sea contains a number of small island groups, uninhabited or inhabited only on a temporary basis by fishermen or by military detachments. These include the Paracel Islands and the [[Spratly Islands]].  

The South China Sea lies to the south of the China mainland and is bounded by the coastlines of the People's Republic of China (PRC), [[Vietnam]], [[Malaysia]], [[Brunei]], the [[Philippines]], and [[Taiwan]].  In the south-west it becomes the Gulf of Thailand. To the south the Serat Karimata gives access to the Java Sea; to the east the Balabac and Mindoro straits give access to the Sulu Sea and the Luzon Strait north of the Philippines gives access to the [[Pacific Ocean]]. The South China Sea contains a number of small island groups, uninhabited or inhabited only on a temporary basis by fishermen or by military detachments. These include the Paracel Islands and the [[Spratly Islands]].