Five facts on Asia's 論争d Scarborough Shoal
The Philippines said Tuesday it 推定する／予想するd 中国 to try to build on a 暗礁 の近くに to its coast in a move it called "容認できない" and "very 乱すing".
Reclamation of Scarborough Shoal off the main Philippine island of Luzon in a 論争d area of the South 中国 Sea could 増大する 緊張s between Beijing and Washington.
Here are five facts about the shoal and why it is a 可能性のある flashpoint in Asia.
The Scarborough Shoal is a small （犯罪の）一味 of 暗礁s that lies about 230 kilometres (140 miles) from the Philippines and 650 kilometres from 中国 ?TED ALJIBE (AFP/とじ込み／提出する)
- What is it? -
Scarborough Shoal is a small （犯罪の）一味 of re efs that lies about 230 kilometres (140 miles) from the Philippines and 650 kilometres from the nearest major Chinese land 集まり, the southern island 州 of Hainan.
It is rich with 海洋 life that fishermen from the Philippines, 中国 and Vietnam have tapped for 世代s.
Although it is in the Philippines' 排除的 経済的な Zone, 中国 and Taiwan also （人命などを）奪う，主張する it 落ちるs within their 君主 領土, part of a broader 列／漕ぐ／騒動 over 領土の 権利s in the South 中国 Sea.
- Why is it important? -
Beijing has moved 積極性 in 最近の years to 固く結び付ける its （人命などを）奪う，主張するs to most of the South 中国 Sea, 主張する 軍の 支配（する）／統制する over the waters and thus 弱める US 影響（力）.
中国 has built islands and airstrips on 暗礁s and islets in the Spratlys 群島, a 戦略の 場所 in the southern part of the sea.
A US-based think 戦車／タンク 解放（する）d photos in December showing Beijing appeared to have 任命する／導入するd 武器s systems at its outposts in the area.
Because of its position, another 軍の outpost at Scarborough Shoal is seen as the last major physical step 要求するd to 安全な・保証する 支配（する）／統制する of the sea.
An outpost at the shoal would also put Chinese 闘士，戦闘機 jets and ミサイルs within 平易な striking distance of US 軍隊s 駅／配置するd in the Philippines.
The shoal also 命令（する）s the northeast 出口 of the sea, so a Chinese 軍の outpost there could stop other countries' 海軍s from using the 決定的な stretch of waters.
- What has happened there in the past? -
The shoal became part of US 領土 when the Philippines was made an American 植民地 through the 扱う／治療する y of Paris in 1898. It was transferred to the Philippines upon independence in 1946.
The Philippine 海軍 then used it as a gunnery 範囲 for 共同の 演習s with US 軍隊s, who had 永久の bases nearby on Luzon island until 1991.
中国 took 効果的な 支配（する）／統制する of the shoal after an April 2012 stand-off with the Philippine 海軍, and 封鎖するd Filipino fishermen from entering the shoal.
A UN-支援するd 法廷 支配するd last year that 中国's （人命などを）奪う，主張するs to the South 中国 Sea had no 合法的な basis. It also 支配するd that 封鎖するing Filipino fishermen at the shoal was 違法な.
However after new Philippine 大統領 Rodrigo Duterte visited Beijing in October, Filipinos were 許すd to fish again around the shoal.
Duterte then took a "片側だけの" 決定／判定勝ち（する） to make the lagoon at Scarborough a 保護するd 海洋 聖域, 製図／抽選 批評 from 地元の fishermen who 恐れるd another 封鎖.
- What happens next? -
中国 公約するd to ignore the 法廷's 判決，裁定 and 圧力（をかける） on with 人工的な island building. Yet it 否定するd doing any construction work at the shoal.
Then-US 大統領 Barack Obama 報道によれば 警告するd Chinese 大統領 Xi Jinping last year against building an island at the shoal, 設立するing a いわゆる "red line".
At his 確定／確認 審理，公聴会 the new 国務長官 Rex Tillerson said Washington should 封鎖する Beijing's 接近 to its 人工的な islands.
Philippine Defence 長官 Delfin Lorenzana on Tuesday told AFP that 中国 was "trying to get Scarborough" as part of a 戦略 to 反対する US 影響（力） in the 地域.
- 危険 of 軍の 対決? -
中国 has 証明するd it is willing to use deadly 軍隊 to 支援する its （人命などを）奪う，主張するs in the South 中国 Sea.
Beijing 伸び（る）d 支配（する）／統制する of the Paracel Islands in 1974 に引き続いて 衝突／不一致s with the South Vietnamese 海軍 that left about 50 Vietnamese 軍隊／機動隊s dead.
Vietnam and 中国 fought a 海軍の 戦う／戦い on Johnson 暗礁 in the Spratlys in 1988 that killed about 70 Vietnamese 軍の 職員／兵員.
Washington does not want to get into a war with Beijing, but Trump and his 閣僚 選ぶs have so far 問題／発行するd contradictory 声明s on the South 中国 Sea.
South 中国 Sea ?Gal ROMA, A. Leung (AFP)
Scarborough Shoal is rich with 海洋 life that fishermen from the Philippines, 中国 and Vietnam have tapped for 世代s ?Ted Aljibe (AFP/とじ込み／提出する)
A Chinese flotilla 行為／行うs 軍の 演習s in the South 中国 Sea on January 2, 2017
