evidence: Macclesfield Bank is a submarine feature, about 80 nautical miles long and 25 nautical miles wide, southeast of the Paracels. Water depths range from about 4 to 45 fathoms. [...] The People's Republic of China has frequently asserted sovereignty not only over the Paracel and Spratly Islands, but also over Macclesfield Bank, a feature entirely under water at all times. The PRC responded to the start of [...] --These islands, as well as the entire Spratly Islands and Macclesfield Bank, "have always been China's territory."