Mischief Reef

Mischief Reef

Disputed island Other names: Meiji Reef Panganiban reef Đá Vành Khăn
File:Mischief Reef, Spratly Islands.png
Mischief Reef in 2001, before Chinese land reclamation
Geography
Location	South China Sea
Coordinates
Archipelago	Spratly Islands
Administered by
People's Republic of China
Claimed by
People's Republic of China
Philippines
Republic of China (Taiwan)
Vietnam

Mischief Reef (Chinese: 美济礁; pinyin: Meiji Jiao; literally: "Meiji Reef"; Tagalog: Panganiban reef; Vietnamese: Đá Vành Khăn) is a large reef in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, located 250 kilometers west of Palawan Island of Philippines.

Mischief reef is occupied and controlled by the People's Republic of China, and claimed by the Republic of China (Taiwan), the Philippines and Vietnam.

The area surrounding it is said to be rich in yet unexplored oil and gas fields.

History and topography

One source says that Mischief reef was discovered by Henry Spratly in 1791 and was named after the German sailor Heribert Mischief, one of his crew. It has rocks above water at low tide and a lagoon.

Location and Description

Mischief reef is located at 9° 55' N, 115° 32' E. It lies 50 nautical miles east of Union banks.

Territorial disputes

In 1994 and 1995, China built initial structures on stilts in the area. The Philippine government protested these actions. However, the Chinese government rejected the protest and said that the structures were shelter for fishermen. In 1999, another wave of protests from Manila occurred when China added more structures to Mischief Reef.

China was also reported to have planted buoys in nearby Sabina Shoal. Philippines claimed that China had a well-rehearsed routine when laying claim to a new reef: first put down buoys, then build concrete markers. Temporary wooden or bamboo shelters followed, and then permanent structures went up. The Philippines therefore would try to destroy the buoys or markers before China has time to build larger structures. The Philippines' decision not to destroy the Chinese structures on Mischief Reef has prevented an escalation of the dispute. The Philippines claims that China has always been prepared for armed conflict when challenged, as is evident in China's defense of reefs from Vietnam in the 1988 Johnson South Reef Skirmish which resulted in more than 70 Vietnamese deaths.

On 11 July 2012, the Chinese Type 053 frigate Dongguan ran aground on the reef, sparking embarrassment for the Chinese government and causing an awkward diplomatic situation. The ship was later towed back to base.

There are more than 100 Chinese troops on the reef. In 2015, land reclamation started inside the rims.

In September 2015, photographs appeared that indicated China was developing the reef into a military base.

See also

• Great wall of sand
• Nine-dotted line