- An estimated $3.37 trillion worth, or 21% of all global trade, transited through the South China Sea in 2016, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
- Territorially, there are seven claimants to the South China Sea: China, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. But to whom does the South China Sea matter most?
- Analysts name the top five countries, other than China, that are most dependent on the South China Sea: Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, Japan and South Korea.
The South China Sea is a vital trade route connecting the main arteries of trade in Southeast Asia, linking waterways from Singapore and Malaysia to Indonesia, the Philippines and Taiwan.
Combined with an abundance of hydrocarbon reserves and marine life — the primary source of animal protein for the region’s dense population — this body of water is critical beyond its boundaries.
According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, an estimated $3.37 trillion worth, or 21% of all global trade, transited through the South China Sea in 2016.
Territorially, there are seven claimants to the South China Sea: China, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
But to whom does the South China Sea matter most?
Analysts name the top five countries, other than China, that are most dependent on the South China Sea.
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