South China Sea

American  

noun

1. a part of the western Pacific, bounded by southeastern China, Vietnam, the Malay Peninsula, Borneo, and the Philippines.

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South China Sea British  

noun

1. part of the Pacific surrounded by SE China, Vietnam, the Malay Peninsula, Borneo, and the Philippines

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Etymology

Origin of South China Sea

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

South China Sea

He focuses on flashpoints like the South China Sea and how countries in the region are rethinking their military tactics, strategy and equipment as the U.S. and China ramp up strategic competition.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

The speck was at Scarborough Shoal, a much-contested reef in the South China Sea, a maritime thoroughfare for about a quarter of the world’s seaborne trade.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

After years of watching China creating land to back its expansive territorial claims Vietnam too is now building up some of the reefs it holds in the South China Sea.

From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026

Also at risk is the Strait of Malacca, which connects the South China Sea with India and carries roughly 25% of global trade.

From Barron's ● May 22, 2026

In the South China Sea, aboard the aircraft carrier USS Constellation, twenty-six-year-old Navy Lieutenant Everett Alvarez zipped up his flight suit.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin