Vietnam: Poster pledging to defend Vietnam's sovereignty over the Paracels and Spratlys Archipelagos

The Spratlys Archipelago in the South China Sea (called by Vietnam the East Sea) is disputed in various degrees by China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei. The Paracels Islands are disputed between China and Vietnam, but have been controlled completely by China since 1974.

The Chinese claim is the most extensive and is generally indicated by a notional frontier termed by the Chinese the 'Nine Dotted Line' (nánhǎi jiǔduàn xiàn; literally "Nine division lines of the South China Sea") and by the Vietnamese the 'Ox's Tongue Line' (Đường lưỡi bò).

The dispute is driven in part by the proven fishing reserves of the region, in part by unproven but supected oil reserves, and by competing national prides - especially between China (effectively backed by Taiwan) and Vietnam.

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