Abstract:

In this paper, an isobath bathygram (200 m interval) of the South China Sea and 11 sea charts (Scale 1﹕250 000, 1﹕800 000) of the Chinese Nansha Islands were vectorized to extract the information of depth, area and locations of the islands and reefs by using Mercator projection and CGCS 2000 coordinates with ArcGIS 10.1. It comes to the conclusion that the islands and reefs invaded by Vietnam in the Chinese Nansha Islands concentrate in two lines (one is Vertical, the other is Horizontal). Nánzǐ Dǎo (The Southwest Cay in Western sea charts), Jǐnghóng Dǎo (Sin Cowe Island), Nánwēi Dǎo (Spratly Island, Storm Island), Lìumén Jiāo (Alison Reef and Prince of Wales Bank) constitute a pattern of four primary cores and one secondary core from north to south. The islands and reefs were classified into 5 types according to their area sizes. Overlaying and reclassificating analysis was made on the acreage of the islands and reefs invaded by Vietnam in Chinese Nansha Islands. It reveals that seven islands and reefs would have more potential for land reclamation. Those are: Hóngxīu Dǎo (Namyit Island), Jǐnghóng Dǎo (Sin Cowe Island), Xī Jiāo (West Reef), Zhōng Jiāo (Central Reef), Bìshēng Jiāo (Pearson Reef), Lìumén Jīao (Alison Reef and Prince of Wales Bank) and Bó jiāo (Barque Canada Reef).

Key words: Chinese Nansha Islands, islands and reefs, Pattern of spatial strategic situation, Vietnam, China