🌏 Important Seas of East & Southeast Asia

1️⃣ South China Sea

Bordered by:

• China
• Taiwan
• Philippines
• Malaysia
• Brunei
• Vietnam

Significance:

• 🌐 Trade Route: ~30–33% of global shipping passes (over $3–4 trillion annual trade).
• ⛽ Resources: Rich in oil, natural gas & fisheries.
• ⚔️ Dispute: Spratly & Paracel Islands contested → China vs ASEAN claimants.
• 🏛️ Legal: 2016 PCA ruling invalidated China’s “Nine-Dash Line” claims.
• 📌 Exam Tip: Hotspot for India’s Act East Policy, Indo-Pacific, QUAD.

2️⃣ East China Sea

Bordered by:

• China (East coast)
• Taiwan
• Japan (Ryukyu Islands including Okinawa)
• South Korea

Significance:

• 🌐 Sea lanes → link between Pacific & South China Sea.
• ⛽ Energy: Potential oil & gas reserves in Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands area.
• ⚔️ Dispute:
  • Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands → Japan vs China (also claimed by Taiwan).
  • Overlapping EEZ disputes (China vs Japan).
• 📌 Exam Tip: Seen in context of US–Japan security alliance & China’s assertiveness.

3️⃣ Yellow Sea

Bordered by:

• China (eastern coast including Shandong Peninsula)
• North Korea
• South Korea

Significance:

• 🌐 Shallow marginal sea → important for fishing & shipping.
• 🛳️ Ports: Shanghai, Qingdao, Incheon, Busan → major global ports.
• ⚔️ Dispute: Maritime boundary between North & South Korea (NLL – Northern Limit Line) is contested.
• 📌 Exam Tip: Often linked to Korean Peninsula tensions & U.S. military presence.

🏆 Why Important for Govt Exams (UPSC, State PCS, SSC, Defence Exams)

1. Static Geography:
   • Location-based questions in prelims (map-based).
   • Example: “Which countries border the South China Sea?”
2. International Relations:
   • Maritime disputes, freedom of navigation, UNCLOS → GS Paper 2.
3. Security & Economy:
   • Energy resources, chokepoints, Indo-Pacific → GS Paper 3.
4. Current Affairs Linkage:
   • QUAD, India’s Act East Policy, U.S.–China rivalry.
   • Regularly in The Hindu, Indian Express, Yojana, Kurukshetra.

✅ Quick Mnemonic for revision:

• South China Sea (6 countries) – C-TV MB (China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Philippines).
• East China Sea (4 countries) – CJTS (China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea).
• Yellow Sea (3 countries) – C-N-SK (China, North Korea, South Korea).
  
  Updated - 25 August 2025 ; 9:25 PM