Which country has the rightful claim to Spratly Island?

Summary of Claims The Philippines claims the northeastern section of the Spratly Islands as the Kalayaan Island Group, in addition to the Scarborough Shoal, which it calls the Bajo de Masinloc. Malaysia claims part of the Kalayaan Island, while China and Taiwan claim the entirety of the island group.

Who is the legitimate owner of the Spratly Islands?

The People’s Republic of China (PRC) claims are based on history and not UNCLOS. However, the PRC still claims all of the Spratly Islands as part of China. The PRC is a party to the UNCLOS, signing the agreement on 29 July 1994.

Does China have a legitimate claim over the Spratly Islands?

First, China claims it has the same rights as archipelagic states, those countries mainly made up of islands. China is undeniably a continental country, but nevertheless, it drew straight baselines around the Paracel Islands and claimed the waters between the islands to be internal waters.

Who owns Kalayaan Group of islands?

the Philippines
Republic Act No. 9522, which defined the archipelagic baselines of the Philippines, claimed sovereignty over the Kalayaan Island Group under Section 2, sub-paragraph A which described the territory as a “Regime of Islands”—a concept defined in the United Nation Convention on Law of the Sea for similar bodies of land.

How far are the Spratly islands from mainland China?

This area extends as far as 1,243 miles away from the Chinese mainland. China argues that the nine-dash line represents historic maritime agreements, but all involved (except China) have disputed this. China has reclaimed an extensive area in the Spratly Islands.

What countries are involved in Spratly Islands dispute?

The Spratly islands dispute is a regional maritime territorial sovereignty dispute which involves six countries in the South China Sea – China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.