A handout photo shows members of the Philippine Army inspecting one of eight Chinese fishing boats spotted in the Scarborough Shoal, a small group of rocky formations whose sovereignty is contested by the Philippines and China, in the South China Sea, April 10, 2012
Other Names(s): Huangyan Island (China current); Minzhu Jiao (China historical); Panatag Shoal (Philippine current); Bajo de Masinlac (Philippine historical)
The Players: China, Taiwan, the Philippines
The Dispute: Recent squabbles over the Scarborough Shoal began over a few sharks, clams and corals. Earlier this year, Chinese fishers working the rocky sandbar found themselves in the sights of a Philippine Navy vessel intending to confiscate their catch. A standoff between the Philippine ship and two Chinese surveillance craft ensued, aggravating longstanding tensions between the countries. China claims to have discovered the islands “as early as 2000 years ago” and says it officially surveyed the territory in 1279. Over the last century, it has repeatedly tried to reaffirm its sovereignty over the area. The Philippines also makes historical claims and points to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The Philippines argues that Scarborough falls within its exclusive economic zone and has urged China to allow an international body to arbitrate the dispute — a demand that Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei once described as “weird.”