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

The Lincoln had been operating in the South China Sea when it was ordered to the Middle East.

From The Wall Street Journal

The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group is leaving the South China Sea and is expected to arrive in the Middle East by this weekend.

From The Wall Street Journal

It is possible now to invest instead in lots of individual emerging markets without going anywhere near the South China Sea.

From MarketWatch

On most other issues, the Vietnamese government actively works to contain anti-China sentiment, but criticism affirming Hanoi's claims in the South China Sea is one of very few forms of protest it deems acceptable.

From BBC

The Zhen Hua 29 left Shanghai on June 20 and sailed in the opposite direction, through the South China Sea and across the Indian Ocean.

From The Wall Street Journal