Aug 09, 2016: China’s Ministry of Transportation is working with a group of maritime organizations to produce a new navigation guide for the South China Sea that reflects ocean conditions and island- and reef-building projects undertaken by China within the country’s so-called “nine-dash line.”

The ministry recently announced the initiative, saying the guide’s contents are now being reviewed and that the final product is likely to be published early next year.

The Chinese-language guide is being prepared to support carriers sailing between southern China and the Straits of Malacca. These sea lanes are among the busiest in the world and pass through the area within China’s “nine-dash line” official boundary. Some sea and island territory within the line is also claimed by other countries.

According to the ministry, the guide’s publishers hope to support safe sailing through a region where unique geography as well as year-round heat and high waves present special navigation challenges.

Photo Caption: Chinese map showing islands and reefs inside the “nine-dash line”
Read Full Article