China recently has begun operating two lighthouses on the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. However, in addition to China, these islands are also claimed by several other countries: Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan, and the Philippines. Even though the ownership, and therefore the control of, the Spratly Islands is under dispute, China also recently built military airstrips there.
The Spratly Islands are a group of more than 750 reefs, islets, and cays that sit off the coasts of the Philippines, Malaysia, and southern Vietnam. They were discovered by a British captain in 1843. The islands are a source of conflict because they are important for both economic and geographic reasons.
The Spratly Islands are uninhabited, but are thought to contain some of the world’s last-known, yet untapped reserves of oil and natural gas. Because fossil fuels are non-renewable sources - once they are depleted, they are gone - they are highly sought after worldwide. This has led to conflicts between countries around the globe, and is one of the main sources of the escalating tensions over ownership of the Spratly Islands, in particular. The islands are also located in a strategic zone for international shipping in waters rich with fish.