china navy (1)

2271211259?profile=RESIZE_710xThe People’s Republic of China has claimed the whole of the South China Sea as its sovereign territory ever since coming to power in 1949.  However, several other countries have historical claims over some of the islands, and the Law of the Sea Treaty gives several of these countries rights to economic zones that overlap with Chinese claims.  This has led to conflict between China and the United States, which supports the claims of its allies to parts of the South China Sea under international l