China has named 80 geographical features in the disputed South China Sea in the latest move to assert its territorial claims in the face of increasing opposition from Vietnam.
According to a notice jointly released by China’s Natural Resources Ministry and Civil Affairs Ministry, it has given names to features in both the Paracel and Spratly islands. These include 25 islands, shoals, reefs and 55 oceanic mountains and ridges.
China has not named geographic features in the disputed area since 1983, when 287 features were named.
The Spratly and Paracel islands are a geopolitical flashpoint because multiple countries have competing territorial claims over the region.
It has also become anoth
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Apr 21, 2020
