| Disputed reef | |
|---|---|
 Johnson South Reef | |
  Johnson South Reef | |
| Other names | 赤瓜礁 Chìguā Jiāo(Chinese) Mabini Reef(Philippine English) Bahura ng Mabini(Filipino) Đá Gạc Ma(Vietnamese) |
| Geography | |
| Location | South China Sea |
| Coordinates | 9°43′N114°17′E / 9.717°N 114.283°E /9.717; 114.283 |
| Archipelago | Spratly Islands |
| Administration | |
| Province | Hainan |
| City | Sansha |
| Claimed by | |
Johnson South Reef, also known asChigua (Chih-kua) Reef (Chinese:赤瓜礁;pinyin:Chìguā Jiāo;Wade–Giles:Chih-kua chiao),Gạc Ma Reef (Vietnamese:Đá Gạc Ma), orMabini Reef (Filipino:Bahura ng Mabini,lit. 'Reef ofMabini'),[1][2] is areef in the southwest portion of theUnion Banks in theSpratly Islands of theSouth China Sea. It is controlled by thePeople's Republic of China (PRC), but its ownership is disputed and also claimed by thePhilippines,Taiwan (ROC), andVietnam.
Johnson South Reef lies adjacent to the Vietnamese-controlledCollins Reef (also known as Johnson North Reef) which lies 6.4 kilometres (4.0 mi) to the northwest. It is naturally above water only at low tide. Prior to 2014 it housed a number of small buildings, wharves and a fortified Chinese maritime observation station.[3]
On 12 July 2016, the tribunal of thePermanent Court of Arbitration concluded that Johnson Reef contains, within the meaning of Article 121(1) of theUnited Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), naturally formed areas of land, surrounded by water, which are above water at high tide. However, for purposes of Article 121(3) of UNCLOS, the high-tide features at Johnson Reef are "rocks that cannot sustain human habitation or economic life of their own and accordingly shall be entitled to 12nm of territorial sea measured from its baseline but have no exclusive economic zone or continental shelf".[4]
Johnson South Reef has been occupied by thePeople's Republic of China since 1988, and is claimed byVietnam. It was the site of the 1988Johnson South Reef Skirmish between thePRC and Vietnam that resulted in the death of 64 Vietnamese soldiers,[5] two Vietnamese boats being sunk, and the Chinese occupying the reef. The PRC government constructed an embankment building on the reef in the early 1990s.[6]
In July 2012, to further reinforce their claim, a Chinese fleet of 29 fishing vessels fromHainan protected byYuzheng 310 (a fishery administration patrol ship) spent 20 days fishing in the region.[7]
During 2014, Chinese reclamation work expanded the usable surface area to 10.9 hectares (27 acres), accommodating what appears to be a military and radar base and a small harbour.[8]
In late 2016, photographs emerged which suggested that the expanded reef has been armed withanti-aircraft guns and aCIWS missile-defence system.[9]
