<P> The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean , encompassing an area from the Karimata and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around 3,500,000 square kilometres ( 1,400,000 sq mi ) . The sea carries tremendous strategic importance ; one - third of the world 's shipping passes through it carrying over $3 trillion in trade each year , it contains lucrative fisheries that are crucial for the food security of millions in Southeast Asia , and huge oil and gas reserves are believed to lie beneath its seabed . </P>
<P> The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean , encompassing an area from the Karimata and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around 3,500,000 square kilometres ( 1,400,000 sq mi ) . The sea carries tremendous strategic importance ; one - third of the world 's shipping passes through it carrying over $3 trillion in trade each year , it contains lucrative fisheries that are crucial for the food security of millions in Southeast Asia , and huge oil and gas reserves are believed to lie beneath its seabed . </P>
where is the south china sea located on a world map
where is the south china sea located on a world map
from the Karimata and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan
from the Karimata and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan