Situated between the Gulf of Tonkin to the northwest, the Taiwan Strait to the northeast, and the Sulu Sea to the southeast, the South China Sea (SCS) borders several East and Southeast Asian countries. As the world’s most immense sea at 3.5-million square kilometers (about twice the size of Alaska), the South China Sea is a vital maritime trade route and sea line of communication (SLOC) on which many Asian nations and extra-regional powers are heavily dependent. Great resources are at stak...
