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87-566: The Palawan Passage is a deep-water channel in the southeastern South China Sea lying between the island of Palawan in the Philippine Islands to its east and Dangerous Ground , an area of the South China Sea, to its west. It is centered roughly around 10°N 118°E  /  10°N 118°E  / 10; 118 . The Palawan Passage is 35 to 40 nautical miles (65 to 74 km; 40 to 46 mi) wide. Its eastern edge

174-463: A midshipman , he served on the cruisers Kasagi and Niitaka . On being commissioned as ensign in 1911, he was assigned to Tatsuta . After his promotion to sub-lieutenant in 1913, Kurita served on the battleship Satsuma , destroyer Sakaki and cruiser Iwate . Kurita became a lieutenant on 1 December 1916, and served on a number of ships: protected cruiser Tone , destroyers Kaba and Minekaze . He also served as either

261-474: A scrivener and masseur , living quietly with his daughter and her family. He was found by an American naval officer after the war where he was interviewed for the Analysis Division of the U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey . With Kurita's address in hand, a young American naval officer got out of a jeep and spotted the unimposing figure tending to his garden chores. Years later, he still vividly recalled

348-518: A captain to "go down with his ship" was a wasteful loss of valuable naval experience and leadership. When ordered by Admiral Soemu Toyoda to take his fleet through the San Bernardino Strait in the central Philippines and attack the American landings at Leyte , Kurita thought the effort a waste of ships and lives, especially since he could not get his fleet to Leyte Gulf until five days after

435-570: A decade or more. Several countries have made competing territorial claims over the South China Sea. Such disputes have been regarded as Asia's most potentially dangerous point of conflict. Both the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC, commonly known as Taiwan) claim almost the entire body as their own, demarcating their claims within what is known as the " nine-dash line ", which claims overlap with virtually every other country in

522-611: A direct route from the Indian Ocean via the Sunda Strait to Manila in the Philippines, as well as an alternative to routes farther west in the South China Sea between Manila, Hong Kong and Singapore for ships seeking to avoid some of the rougher weather associated with the northeast monsoon. During the Pacific campaign of World War II , United States Navy submarines operated in

609-443: A dispute over the South China Sea, India's state-run explorer, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) said that its overseas investment arm ONGC Videsh Limited had signed a three-year deal with PetroVietnam for developing long-term cooperation in the oil sector and that it had accepted Vietnam's offer of exploration in certain specified blocks in the South China Sea. In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu issued

696-468: A message announcing a "battle plan" to detach his battleships to cover the exit of the strait. With the decision to attack Ozawa, this battle plan was never executed and the heavy ships went north with the carriers. The battle plan called for detaching the battleships to guard San Bernardino Strait, which meant that Halsey's flagship, the battleship USS  New Jersey , would have been detached too, leaving him behind while Vice Admiral Marc Mitscher chased

783-440: A mistake at Leyte by turning away and not continuing with the battle, a statement he later retracted. In retirement, Kurita made twice-yearly pilgrimages to Yasukuni Shrine to pray for his dead comrades-in-arms. In 1966, he was present at the deathbed of his old colleague, Jisaburō Ozawa , at which he silently wept. It was not until he was in his 80s that Kurita began to again speak of his actions at Leyte. He claimed privately to

870-537: A number of damaging near misses on other vessels, reducing fleet speed to 18 knots. Knowing that he was already six hours behind schedule and facing the possibility of a sixth attack in the narrow confines of the San Bernardino Strait, Kurita requested air support and turned his fleet west away from Leyte Gulf. Thus began a chain of events that continues to engage historians and biographers to this day. Halsey, believing that he had mauled Kurita's fleet and that

957-654: A position on the legal and procedural merits of the case or on the disputed claims, and the Secretary-General expressed his hope that the continued consultations on a Code of Conduct between ASEAN and China under the framework of the Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea will lead to increased mutual understanding among all the parties. Takeo Kurita Takeo Kurita ( Japanese : 栗田 健男 , Hepburn : Kurita Takeo , 28 April 1889 – 19 December 1977)

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1044-514: A possible solution to tensions with the United States in the South China Sea would be to sink one or two United States Navy aircraft carriers to break US morale. Also in December 2018, Chinese commentator and Senior Colonel in the People's Liberation Army Air Force , Dai Xu suggested that China's navy should ram United States Navy ships sailing in the South China Sea. The US, although not

1131-485: A process that propagated to the southwest resulting in the V-shaped basin we see today. Extension ceased around 17 million years ago. Arguments have continued about the role of tectonic extrusion in forming the basin. Paul Tapponnier and colleagues have argued that as India collides with Asia it pushes Indochina to the southeast. The relative shear between Indochina and China caused the South China Sea to open. This view

1218-628: A protest. The spokesman of the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India responded by saying that "The Chinese had concerns but we are going by what the Vietnamese authorities have told us and have conveyed this to the Chinese." The Indo-Vietnamese deal was also denounced by the Chinese state-run newspaper Global Times . In 1999, Taiwan claimed the entirety of the South China Sea islands under

1305-618: A signatory to UNCLOS , has maintained its position that its naval vessels have consistently sailed unhindered through the South China Sea and will continue to do so. At times US warships have come within the 12 nautical-mile limit of Chinese-controlled islands (such as the Paracel Islands), arousing China's ire. During the US Chief of Naval Operations' visit to China in early 2019, he and his Chinese counterpart worked out rules of engagement, whenever American warships and Chinese warships met up on

1392-528: Is disputed by geologists who do not consider Indochina to have moved far relative to mainland Asia. Marine geophysical studies in the Gulf of Tonkin by Peter Clift has shown that the Red River Fault was active and causing basin formation at least by 37 million years ago in the northwest South China Sea, consistent with extrusion playing a part in the formation of the sea. Since opening, the South China Sea has been

1479-828: Is located south of Natuna Island within Indonesian territorial waters. Therefore, Indonesia has named two seas that are portions of South China Sea; the Natuna Sea located between Natuna Islands and the Lingga and Tambelan Archipelagos , and the North Natuna Sea located between the Natuna Islands and Cape Cà Mau on the southern tip of the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. There has been no agreement between China and Indonesia on what has been called

1566-468: Is marked by the 100-fathom (600 ft; 183 m) curve, which lies from 20 to 30 nautical miles (37 to 56 km; 23 to 35 mi) off the west coast of Palawan. The area between the coast of Palawan and the 100-fathom curve is a bank studded with reefs and shoals . To the west of the passage lies Dangerous Ground, a poorly surveyed and charted area of the southeastern South China Sea which includes numerous reefs, shoals, and rocks. In contrast to

1653-609: The Battle of the Philippine Sea . In 1943, Kurita replaced Admiral Kondō as the commander of IJN 2nd Fleet . It was as Commander-in-Chief of the IJN 2nd Fleet dubbed "Center Force" during the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea and the Battle off Samar (both part of the Battle of Leyte Gulf ) for which Kurita is best known. The IJN 2nd Fleet included the largest and most heavily armed battleships in

1740-610: The Czech Republic , Denmark , Finland , France , Germany , Greece , India , Ireland , Italy , Japan, the Netherlands , New Zealand , the Philippines, Poland , Portugal , Romania , Slovakia , South Korea , Spain , Sweden , the United Kingdom , and the United States; the governments in opposition are China, Montenegro , Pakistan , Russia, Sudan , Syria , Taiwan, and Vanuatu . The United Nations itself does not have

1827-850: The East China Sea via the Taiwan Strait , the Philippine Sea via the Luzon Strait , the Sulu Sea via the straits around Palawan , and the Java Sea via the Karimata and Bangka Straits . The Gulf of Thailand and the Gulf of Tonkin are part of the South China Sea. $ 3.4 trillion of the world's $ 16 trillion maritime shipping passed through South China Sea in 2016. Oil and natural gas reserves have been found in

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1914-689: The Indian Ocean Raid where he led a fleet of six heavy cruisers and the light carrier Ryūjō that sank 135,000 tons of shipping in the Bay of Bengal . During the Battle of Midway (serving under Nobutake Kondō ), he lost the cruiser Mikuma . Kurita was promoted to vice admiral on 1 May 1942, and was reassigned to the 3rd Battleship Division in July. In the Guadalcanal Campaign , Kurita led his battleships in an intense bombardment of Henderson Field on

2001-748: The Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo de Masinloc , and tasked the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority to use the name in official maps. In July 2017, to assert its sovereignty, Indonesia renamed the northern reaches of its exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea as the North Natuna Sea , which is located north of the Indonesian Natuna Islands , bordering southern Vietnam exclusive economic zone , corresponding to southern end of South China Sea. The Natuna Sea

2088-734: The Lee Teng-hui administration. The entire subsoil, seabed and waters of the Paracels and Spratlys are claimed by Taiwan. In 2012 and 2013, Vietnam and Taiwan butted heads against each other over anti-Vietnamese military exercises by Taiwan. In May 2014, China established an oil rig near the Paracel Islands, leading to multiple incidents between Vietnamese and Chinese ships. Vietnamese analysis identifies this change in strategy generating on going incidents as occurring since 2012. In December 2018, retired Chinese admiral Luo Yuan proposed that

2175-699: The Spring and Autumn period (771–476 BCE) also referred to the sea, but by the name Nan Hai (Chinese: 南海 ; pinyin: Nán Hǎi ; lit. 'South Sea') in reference to the State of Chu's expeditions there. Nan Hai, the South Sea, was one of the Four Seas of Chinese literature. There are three other seas, one for each of the four cardinal directions. During the Eastern Han dynasty (23–220 CE), China's rulers called

2262-458: The heavy cruisers Atago — Kurita ′s flagship — and Takao , sinking Atago and badly damaging Takao , and Dace torpedoed and sank the heavy cruiser Maya . Takao turned back for Brunei, and as Darter and Dace shadowed her, Darter was wrecked without loss of life on Bombay Shoal. Takao eventually reached Singapore , but was never seaworthy again. In 2011, the Government of

2349-494: The 12th Destroyer Group, the cruiser Abukuma , and from 1937 the battleship Kongō . Kurita became a rear admiral on November 15, 1938, commanding the 1st Destroyer Flotilla then the 4th Destroyer Flotilla. He was in command of the 7th Cruiser Division at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor . Kurita's 7th Cruiser Division participated in the invasion of Java in the Dutch East Indies in December 1941, and in

2436-589: The Bangka Belitung Islands to the Natuna Islands . The sea lies above a drowned continental shelf ; during recent ice ages global sea level was hundreds of metres lower, and Borneo was part of the Asian mainland. The South China Sea opened around 45 million years ago when the " Dangerous Ground " rifted away from southern China. Extension culminated in seafloor spreading around 30 million years ago,

2523-756: The East coast of Sumatra to Lucipara Point ( 3°14′S 106°05′E  /  3.233°S 106.083°E  / -3.233; 106.083 ) thence to Tanjong Nanka, the Southwest extremity of Banka Island (where it transitions as Java Sea ), through this island to Tanjong Berikat the Eastern point ( 2°34′S 106°51′E  /  2.567°S 106.850°E  / -2.567; 106.850 ), on to Tanjong Djemang ( 2°36′S 107°37′E  /  2.600°S 107.617°E  / -2.600; 107.617 ) in Billiton , along

2610-559: The Japanese Center Force was retreating, and believing that he had the orders and authorization to do so, abandoned his station guarding General MacArthur 's landing at Leyte Gulf and the San Bernardino Strait, in order to pursue Admiral Jisaburō Ozawa 's Northern Fleet of Japanese carriers that were sent as a decoy to lure the Americans away from Leyte. But before doing so, in fact before Ozawa's force had been sighted, Halsey had sent

2697-454: The Japanese fleet, and that powerful elements of 7th Fleet were approaching from Leyte Gulf. After steaming back and forth off Samar for two more hours, Kurita, who had been on Yamato ' s bridge for nearly 48 hours by this point, and his chief of staff Tomiji Koyanagi decided to retire and retreated back through the San Bernardino Strait. Kurita's ships were subjected to further air attack

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2784-535: The Middle Rocks to Malaysia. In July 2010, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for China to resolve the territorial dispute. China responded by demanding the US keep out of the issue. This came at a time when both countries had been engaging in naval exercises in a show of force to the opposing side, which increased tensions in the region. The US Department of Defense released a statement on August 18 where it opposed

2871-777: The Natuna waters dispute, with China being ambiguous as to the southern limit of its area of interest. States and territories with borders on the sea (clockwise from north) include: the People's Republic of China , the Republic of China (Taiwan) , the Philippines , Malaysia , Brunei , Indonesia and Vietnam . Major rivers that flow into South China Sea include the Pearl , Min , Jiulong , Red , Mekong , Menam , Rajang , Baram , Kapuas , Batang Hari , Musi , Kampar , Indragiri , Pahang , Agno , Pampanga and Pasig Rivers. The IHO in its Limits of Oceans and Seas , 3rd edition (1953), defines

2958-521: The North coast of this island to Tanjong Boeroeng Mandi ( 2°46′S 108°16′E  /  2.767°S 108.267°E  / -2.767; 108.267 ) and thence a line to Tanjong Sambar ( 3°00′S 110°19′E  /  3.000°S 110.317°E  / -3.000; 110.317 ) the Southwest extreme of Borneo . On the East. From Tanjong Sambar through the West coast of Borneo to Tanjong Sampanmangio,

3045-613: The North point, thence a line to West points of Balabac and Secam Reefs, on to the West point of Bancalan Island and to Cape Buliluyan, the Southwest point of Palawan , through this island to Cabuli Point, the Northern point thereof, thence to the Northwest point of Busuanga and to Cape Calavite in the island of Mindoro, to the Northwest point of Lubang Island and to Point Fuego (14°08'N) in Luzon Island , through this island to Cape Engano ,

3132-602: The Northeast point of Luzon, along a line joining this cape with the East point of Balintang Island (20°N) and to the East point of Y'Ami Island (21°05'N) thence to Garan Bi, the Southern point of Taiwan (Formosa), through this island to Santyo (25°N) its North Eastern Point. On the North. From Fuki Kaku the North point of Formosa to Kiushan Tao (Turnabout Island) on to the South point of Haitan Tao (25°25'N) and thence Westward on

3219-553: The Palawan Passage to attack Japanese shipping. On October 23, 1944, the first day of the Battle of Leyte Gulf , the U.S. submarines USS  Darter  (SS-227) and USS  Dace  (SS-247) attacked an Imperial Japanese Navy task force under the command of Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita as it passed through the Palawan Passage on its way from Brunei to the Sibuyan Sea and San Bernardino Strait . Darter torpedoed

3306-523: The Palawan Trench. Now completely submerged, with a depth of 20 metres (66 ft), it was an island until it was covered about 7,000 years ago by increasing sea levels after the last ice age . With an area of 8,866 square kilometres (3,423 sq mi), it is one of the largest submerged atoll structures in the world. The South China Sea has historically been an important trade route between northeast Asia, China, southeast Asia, and going to India and

3393-560: The Parties" but concluded that China had not historically exercised exclusive control within the nine-dash line, hence has "no legal basis" to claim "historic rights" over the resources. It also concluded that China's historic rights claims over the maritime areas (as opposed to land masses and territorial waters) inside the nine-dash line would have no lawful effect outside of what's entitled to under UNCLOS. It criticized China's land reclamation projects and its construction of artificial islands in

3480-556: The Philippines began to refer to the waters of the South China Sea that lie within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines as the West Philippine Sea . The entire Palawan Passage lies within the West Philippine Sea. The Tabon Caves , a cave system at Quezon on Palawan and the site of prehistoric human remains and jar burials , is located at Lipuun Point between two arms of the Palawan Passage, Malanut Bay to

3567-506: The Spratly Islands, saying that it had caused "severe harm to the coral reef environment". Finally, it characterized Taiping Island and other features of the Spratly Islands as "rocks" under UNCLOS, and therefore are not entitled to a 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone . The arbitral tribunal decision was ruled as final and non-appealable by either country. China rejected the ruling, calling it "ill-founded". China's response

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3654-522: The Taffies had cost him three heavy cruisers: Chikuma , Suzuya , and Chōkai . Many of his other ships had also been hit and most had suffered casualties from the relentless strafing. After about two and a half hours in action with Taffy 3, Kurita ordered his force to regroup on a northerly course, away from Leyte. By this time, Kurita had received news that the Japanese Southern Force, which

3741-592: The Western Central Pacific (excluding the northernmost reaches of the South China Sea closest to the PRC coast) accounted for 14% of the total world catch from commercial fishing of 11.7 million tonnes. This was up from less than 4 million tonnes in 1970. China announced in May 2017 a breakthrough for mining methane clathrates , when they extracted methane from hydrates in the South China Sea, but commercial adoption may take

3828-415: The area. The Western Central Pacific accounted for 14% of world's commercial fishing in 2010. The South China Sea Islands , collectively comprising several archipelago clusters of mostly small uninhabited islands, islets ( cays and shoals ), reefs / atolls and seamounts numbering in the hundreds, are subject to competing claims of sovereignty by several countries. These claims are also reflected in

3915-497: The bank off Palawan. Typhoons rarely cross the Palawan Passage, although when they pass to its north they can create strong winds and unsettled weather in the passage. Monsoon weather is somewhat unpredictable, but generally the passage enjoys its calmest weather in May and early June. In late June and July, weather becomes more unsettled, with periods of seven to ten days of rain, clouds, and squalls alternating with good weather. A strong west-southwesterly wind usually blows along

4002-406: The battle, a situation not helped by poor visibility, intermittent rain squalls and a wind direction favorable to the Americans, who immediately began to make smoke for additional concealment. Kurita's forces mauled Taffy 3, sinking the escort carrier Gambier Bay , the destroyers Hoel and Johnston , and the destroyer escort Samuel B. Roberts , and inflicting significant damage on most of

4089-516: The carriers of the American 3rd Fleet, Kurita immediately ordered his battleships to open fire. Recognizing that his best chance depended upon destroying the aircraft carriers before they could launch their aircraft, Kurita gave the order for "general attack" rather than take the time to reform his ships for action with the enemy. Kurita then compounded his error by ordering his destroyers to the rear to prevent them from obstructing his battleships' line of fire, preventing them from racing ahead to cut off

4176-419: The carriers. Unfortunately for Halsey, after an hour and a half without further air attacks Kurita turned east again at 1715 towards San Bernardino Strait and the eventual encounter with Kinkaid's forces in Leyte Gulf. Vice Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid , Commander 7th Fleet and responsible for protecting the landing forces, assumed that Halsey's "battle plan" was a deployment order and that Task Force 34 (TF 34)

4263-472: The chief torpedo officer or executive officer on Minekaze , Yakaze , and Hakaze . In 1920, he was given his first command: the destroyer Shigure . In 1921, he assumed command of Oite . Promoted to lieutenant commander in 1922, Kurita captained the destroyers Wakatake , Hagi , and Hamakaze . As commander from 1927, he commanded the destroyer Urakaze , 25th Destroyer Group and 10th Destroyer Group. As captain from 1932, he commanded

4350-447: The coast of Samar . Thirty minutes after dawn, the battleships of the Imperial Japanese Navy sighted " Taffy 3 " — a task unit of Kinkaid's covering forces that consisted of six escort carriers , three destroyers and four destroyer escorts , commanded by Rear Admiral Clifton Sprague . Taffy 3 was intended to provide shore support and anti-submarine patrols, not to engage in fleet action against battleships. Believing he had chanced upon

4437-671: The dangers to navigation in the waters to its east and west, the Palawan Passage offers a deep-water, northeast–southwest shipping channel with only two hazards in its fairway , Royal Captain Shoal with its northernmost point at Observation Rock at 09°02′N 116°39′E  /  9.033°N 116.650°E  / 9.033; 116.650  ( Observation Rock ) , and Bombay Shoal with its northeastern extremity at Madagascar Rock at 09°26′N 116°56′E  /  9.433°N 116.933°E  / 9.433; 116.933  ( Madagascar Rock ) . The narrowest part of Palawan Passage lies between Royal Captain Shoal and

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4524-527: The east and Nakoda Bay to the west. South China Sea The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean . It is bounded in the north by South China , in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula , in the east by the islands of Taiwan and northwestern Philippines (mainly Luzon , Mindoro and Palawan ), and in the south by Borneo , eastern Sumatra and the Bangka Belitung Islands , encompassing an area of around 3,500,000 km (1,400,000 sq mi). It communicates with

4611-416: The east of the Philippines will continue to be called the Philippine Sea . In September 2012, Philippine President Benigno Aquino III signed Administrative Order No. 29, mandating that all government agencies use the name West Philippine Sea to refer to the parts of South China Sea within the Philippines exclusive economic zone , including the Luzon Sea as well as the waters around, within and adjacent to

4698-765: The heavy cruiser Maya . Kurita was plucked from the water by a destroyer and transferred his flag to the Yamato , but Kurita's dunking did him little good, especially since he had only recently recovered from a severe case of dengue fever, and no doubt contributed to the fatigue which may have influenced his subsequent actions. While in the confines of the Sibuyan Sea and approaching the San Bernardino Strait, Kurita's force underwent five aerial attacks by U.S. carrier planes which damaged several of his ships, including Yamato . Constant air attacks from Admiral William "Bull" Halsey 's 3rd Fleet scored two bomb hits on Yamato , reducing her speed, and numerous torpedo and bomb hits on Musashi , mortally wounding her. They also scored

4785-422: The high seas. On 26 June 2020, the 36th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit was held virtually. Vietnam, as the Chairman of the Summit, released the Chairman's Statement. The statement said the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea is "the basis for determining maritime entitlements, sovereign rights, jurisdiction and legitimate interests over maritime zones, and the 1982 UNCLOS sets out

4872-414: The landings, leaving little more than empty transports for his huge battleships to attack. He bitterly resented his superiors, who, while safe in bunkers in Tokyo, ordered him to fight to the death against hopeless odds and without air cover. For his part, Toyoda was aware that the plan was a major gamble, but as the Imperial Japanese Navy fleet was running out of fuel and other critical supplies, he felt that

4959-400: The largest being Taiping Island (Itu Aba) at just over 1.3 kilometres (0.81 mi) long and with its highest elevation at 3.8 metres (12 ft). The largest singular feature in the area of the Spratly Islands is a 100 kilometres (62 mi) wide seamount called Reed Tablemount , also known as Reed Bank, in the northeast of the group, separated from Palawan Island of the Philippines by

5046-573: The legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and seas must be carried out." In January 2013, the Philippines initiated arbitration proceedings against China (PRC) over issues surrounding the nine-dash line , characterization of maritime features, and EEZ. China did not participate in the arbitration. On 12 July 2016, an arbitral tribunal ruled in favor of the Philippines on most of its submissions. It clarified that it would not "rule on any question of sovereignty over land territory and would not delimit any maritime boundary between

5133-653: The limits of South China Sea as follows: On the South. The Eastern and Southern limits of Singapore and Malacca Straits [A line joining Tanjong Datok, the Southeast point of Johore ( 1°22′N 104°17′E  /  1.367°N 104.283°E  / 1.367; 104.283 ) through Horsburgh Reef to Pulo Koko, the Northeastern extreme of Bintan Island ( 1°13.5′N 104°35′E  /  1.2250°N 104.583°E  / 1.2250; 104.583 ). The Northeastern coast of Sumatra ] as far West as Tanjong Kedabu ( 1°06′N 102°58′E  /  1.100°N 102.967°E  / 1.100; 102.967 ) down

5220-402: The moment: "It really made an impression of me. The war was just over. Less than a year before Kurita had been in command of the largest fleet that was ever put together, and there he was out there chopping potatoes." Kurita never discussed politics or the war with his family or others, except to conduct a brief interview with a journalist, Masanori Itō , in 1954 when he stated that he had made

5307-409: The much larger China and that because many countries claim the same territory only multilateral talks could effectively resolve the competing claims. The overlapping claims over Pedra Branca or Pulau Batu Putih including the neighbouring Middle Rocks by both Singapore and Malaysia were settled in 2008 by the International Court of Justice , awarding Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh to Singapore and

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5394-403: The night of 13 October, firing 918 heavy high explosive shells at the American airfield. This was the single most successful Japanese attempt to incapacitate Henderson Field by naval bombardment and allowed a large transport convoy to resupply forces on Guadalcanal the next day relatively unmolested. Kurita later commanded major naval forces during the Central Solomon Islands campaign and during

5481-418: The other ships. But continual air attacks by aircraft from Taffy 3 and Taffy 2 stationed farther south and a determined counterattack by the U.S. escorts served to further confuse and separate Kurita's forces. Kurita, whose flagship Yamato fell far behind early in the battle while avoiding a torpedo salvo from USS Hoel , lost sight of the enemy and many of his own ships. Meanwhile, the courageous efforts of

5568-399: The parallel of 25°24' North to the coast of Fukien . On the West. The Mainland, the Southern limit of the Gulf of Thailand and the East coast of the Malay Peninsula . However, in a revised draft edition of Limits of Oceans and Seas , 4th edition (1986), the International Hydrographic Organization recognized the Natuna Sea. Thus the southern limit of South China Sea would be revised from

5655-400: The part within Philippine territorial waters often called the "Luzon Sea", Dagat Luzon , by the Philippines. However, following an escalation of the Spratly Islands dispute in 2011, various Philippine government agencies started using the name West Philippine Sea . A Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) spokesperson said that the sea to

5742-443: The passage during September and October, with dark clouds and rain common. The weather is variable in November and December, with November particularly prone to strong southwesterly winds. During the northeast monsoon , between October and December, the passage tends to enjoy calmer weather than the area of the South China Sea to the west of Dangerous Ground. Currents in the Palawan Passage tend to be weak. The Palawan Passage offers

5829-435: The potential gain offset the risk of losing a fleet that was about to become useless in any event. While his fleet was en route from Brunei to attack the American invasion fleet, Kurita's ships were attacked in the Palawan Passage by U.S. submarines. USS  Darter damaged the heavy cruiser Takao and sank Kurita's flagship, the heavy cruiser Atago , forcing him to swim for his life while USS  Dace sank

5916-694: The region. Competing claims include: China and Vietnam have both been vigorous in prosecuting their claims. China (various governments) and South Vietnam each controlled part of the Paracel Islands before 1974 . A brief conflict in 1974 resulted in 18 Chinese and 53 Vietnamese deaths, and China has controlled the whole of Paracel since then. The Spratly Islands have been the site of a naval clash, in which over 70 Vietnamese sailors were killed just south of Chigua Reef in March 1988. Disputing claimants regularly report clashes between naval vessels, and these now also include airspace incidents. ASEAN in general, and Malaysia in particular, have been keen to ensure that

6003-533: The repository of large sediment volumes delivered by the Mekong River, Red River and Pearl River. Several of these deltas are rich in oil and gas deposits. The South China Sea contains over 250 small islands , atolls , cays , shoals , reefs , and sandbars , most of which have no indigenous people, many of which are naturally under water at high tide, and some of which are permanently submerged. The features are: The Spratly Islands spread over an 810 by 900 km area covering some 175 identified insular features,

6090-404: The rest of the day and Halsey's battleships just missed catching him that night, sinking the destroyer Nowaki , which had remained behind to save the survivors from Chikuma . Kurita's retreat saved Yamato and the remainder of the IJN 2nd Fleet from certain destruction, but he had failed to complete his mission, attacking the amphibious forces in Leyte Gulf. The path had been laid open to him by

6177-442: The sacrifices of the Northern and Southern Forces, but closed again by the determination and courage of the Taffies. Kurita was criticized by some elements in the Japanese military for not fighting to the death. In December, Kurita was removed from command. In order to protect him against assassination, he was reassigned as commandant of the Imperial Japanese Navy Academy . Following the Japanese surrender , Kurita found work as

6264-497: The sea Zhang Hai ( Chinese : 漲海 ; pinyin : Zhǎng Hǎi ; lit. 'distended sea'). Fei Hai ( Chinese : 沸海 ; pinyin : Fèi Hǎi ; lit. 'boiling sea') became popular during the Southern and Northern dynasties . Usage of the current Chinese name, Nan Hai (South Sea), gradually became widespread during the Qing dynasty . In Southeast Asia it

6351-552: The sea as "South China Sea (Nan Hai)". The Yizhoushu , which was a chronicle of the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BCE), gives the first Chinese name for South China Sea as Nanfang Hai (Chinese: 南方海 ; pinyin: Nánfāng Hǎi ; lit. 'Southern Sea'), claiming that barbarians from that sea gave tributes of hawksbill sea turtles to the Zhou rulers. The Classic of Poetry , Zuo Zhuan , and Guoyu classics of

6438-547: The sea carries trade equivalent to 5 per cent of global GDP. In 2012–2013, the United States Energy Information Administration estimates very little oil and natural gas in contested areas such as the Paracel and the Spratly Islands. Most of the proved or probable 11 billion barrels of oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the South China Sea exist near undisputed shorelines. In 2010,

6525-723: The ship was entering Chinese waters. The spokesperson for the Indian Navy clarified that as no ship or aircraft was visible from INS Airavat it proceeded on her onward journey as scheduled. The Indian Navy further clarified that "[t]here was no confrontation involving the INS Airavat. India supports freedom of navigation in international waters, including in the South China Sea, and the right of passage in accordance with accepted principles of international law. These principles should be respected by all." In September 2011, shortly after China and Vietnam had signed an agreement seeking to contain

6612-505: The slower American carriers. Concern that his destroyers would burn too much fuel in a flank speed stern chase of what Kurita presumed were 30-knot fleet carriers also played a part in Kurita's decision. However, at the moment Taffy 3 was sighted, Center Force was in the midst of changing from nighttime scouting to daytime air defense steaming formation. Kurita's ships thus charged uncoordinated into action and Kurita quickly lost tactical control of

6699-539: The territorial disputes within the South China Sea do not escalate into armed conflict. As such, joint development authorities have been set up in areas of overlapping claims to jointly develop the area and divide the profits equally without settling the issue of sovereignty over the area. This is true particularly in the Gulf of Thailand. Generally, China has preferred to resolve competing claims bilaterally, while some ASEAN countries prefer multilateral talks, believing that they are disadvantaged in bilateral negotiations with

6786-538: The use of force to resolve the dispute, and accused China of assertive behaviour. On July 22, 2011, one of India's amphibious assault vessels, the INS Airavat which was on a friendly visit to Vietnam, was reportedly contacted at a distance of 45 nautical miles (83 km) from the Vietnamese coast in the disputed South China Sea on an open radio channel by a vessel identifying itself as the Chinese Navy and stating that

6873-656: The variety of names used for the islands and the sea. South China Sea is the dominant term used in English for the sea, and the name in most European languages is equivalent. This name is a result of early European interest in the sea as a route from Europe and South Asia to the trading opportunities of China. In the 16th century, Portuguese sailors called it the China Sea ( Mare da China ); later needs to differentiate it from nearby bodies of water led to calling it South China Sea. The International Hydrographic Organization refers to

6960-420: The west. The number of shipwrecks of trading ships that lie on the ocean's floor attest to a thriving trade going back centuries. Nine historic trade ships carrying ceramics dating back to the 10th century until the 19th century were excavated under Swedish engineer Sten Sjöstrand . $ 3.4 trillion of the world's $ 16 trillion maritime shipping passed through South China Sea in 2016. The 2019 data shows that

7047-460: The world, Yamato and Musashi . Additionally, the IJN 2nd Fleet included the older battleships Nagato , Kongō , and Haruna , 10 cruisers and 13 destroyers. Critically, however, the IJN Second Fleet did not include any aircraft carriers . Kurita was a dedicated officer, willing to die if necessary, but not wishing to die in vain . Like Isoroku Yamamoto , Kurita believed that for

7134-601: Was a vice admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II . Kurita commanded IJN 2nd Fleet , the main Japanese attack force during the Battle of Leyte Gulf . Takeo Kurita was born in Mito city , Ibaraki Prefecture , in 1889. He was sent off to Etajima in 1905 and graduated from the 38th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1910, ranked 28th out of a class of 149 cadets. As

7221-403: Was actually guarding San Bernardino Strait. Kinkaid thus concentrated his battleships to the south in order to face the Japanese "Southern Force". During the night of 24–25 October 1944, Kurita changed his mind again, and turned his ships around and headed east again, toward Leyte Gulf. On the morning of 25 October, Kurita's fleet, led by Yamato , exited San Bernardino Strait and sailed south along

7308-460: Was once called the Champa Sea or Sea of Cham , after the maritime kingdom of Champa (nowadays Central Vietnam ), which flourished there before the 16th century. The majority of the sea came under Japanese naval control during World War II following the military acquisition of many surrounding South East Asian territories in 1941. Japan calls the sea Minami Shina Kai "South China Sea". This

7395-424: Was to attack Leyte Gulf from the south, had already been destroyed by Kinkaid's battleships. With Musashi gone, Kurita still had four battleships but only three cruisers remaining, all of his ships were low on fuel and most of them were damaged. Kurita was intercepting messages that indicated Admiral Halsey had sunk all four carriers of the "Northern Force" and was racing back to Leyte with his battleships to confront

7482-470: Was to ignore the arbitration result and to continue pursuing bilateral discussions with the Philippines. Taiwan, which currently administers Taiping Island, the largest of the Spratly Islands, also rejected the ruling. As of November 2023 , 26 governments support the ruling, 17 issued generally positive statements noting the ruling but not called for compliance, and eight rejected it. The governments in support are Australia , Austria , Belgium , Canada ,

7569-772: Was written 南支那海 until 2004, when the Japanese Foreign Ministry and other departments switched the spelling to 南シナ海 , which has become the standard usage in Japan. In China, it is called the South Sea , ( 南海 ; Nánhǎi ), and in Vietnam the East Sea , Biển Đông . In Malaysia , Indonesia and the Philippines , it was long called the South China Sea ( Tagalog : Dagat Timog Tsina , Malay : Laut China Selatan ), with

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