Military Clashes in the South China Sea

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/spratly-clash.htm

Date

Countries

Military Action


1976
 
China, Vietnam
 
Chinese seize Paracel Islands from Vietnam
 

1988
 
China, Vietnam
 
Chinese and Vietnamese navies clash at Johnson Reef in the Spratly Islands. Several Vietnamese boats are sunk and over 70 sailors killed.
 

1992
 
China, Vietnam
 
Vietnam accuses China of drilling for oil in Vietnamese waters in the Gulf of Tonkin, and accuses China of landing troops on Da Luc Reef. China seizes almost 20 Vietnamese cargo ships transporting goods from Hong Kong from June - September.
 

1994
 
China, Vietnam
 
China and Vietnam have naval confrontations within Vietnam's internationally recognized territorial waters over oil exploration blocks 133, 134, and 135. Chinese claim area as part of their Wan' Bei-21 (WAB-21) block. 
 

1995
 
China, Philippines
 
China occupies Philippine-claimed Mischief Reef. Philippine military evicts the Chinese in March and destroys Chinese markers.
 

1995
 
Taiwan, Vietnam
 
Taiwanese artillery fire on Vietnamese supply ship.
 

1996
 
China, Philippines
 
In January, three Chinese vessels engage in a 90-minute gun battle with a Philippine navy gunboat near Campones Island.
 

1997
 
China, Philippines 
 
The Philippine navy orders a Chinese speedboat and two fishing boats to leave Scarborough Shoal in April; Philippine fishermen remove Chinese markers and raise their flag. China sends three warships to survey Philippine-occupied Panata and Kota Islands
 

1998
 
China, Philippines 
 
In January, the Philippine navy arrests Chinese fishermen off Scarborough Shoal.
 

1998
 
Philippines, Vietnam
 
In January, Vietnamese soldiers fire on a Philippine fishing boat near Tennent (Pigeon) Reef.