evidence: Under the law of the sea, offshore maritime features can be categorized into three groups namely islands, rocks, and low-tide elevations (LTEs). Both islands and rocks are high-tide features, which means they are visible at high tide. Furthermore, article 121 of the Law of the Sea Convention (UNCLOS) establishes conditions to distinguish an island from a rock. Any natural high-tide feature at sea that is either (1) able to support permanent life of a community or (2) capable of providing economic materials independently from the mainland for such community will be legally considered as an island. China’s Hainan Island is a clear example of a legal island. On the other hand, a maritime feature that lacks both conditions in article 121 can only be regarded as a rock. The United Kingdom’s Rockall is the example of this category. In addition, while islands can generate all maritime zones including a territorial sea, contiguous zone, exclusive economic zone, and continental shelf, rocks can only generate a 12nm territorial sea around them.