Nansha indisputable territory

The South China Sea dispute is heating up again with Vietnam and the Philippines claiming parts of Nansha and Xisha islands as their territory and accusing China of aggression in the resource-rich waters off the islands.

Two incidents in the last century, however, establish China's sovereignty over Xisha and Nansha islands.

In 1909, Zhang Renjun, then governor of Guangdong and Guangxi evicted a Japanese merchant who was illegally occupying part of the Dongsha Islands. After that, he realized the necessity of defending the other islands in the South China Sea and asked navy commander Li Zhun to patrol the waters off the Xisha Islands with three warships.