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Thread: China's Military Forefront : Xisha Islands

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[quote=JIMMYB,248010]Since Xisha is far offshore and rarely visited, the water around them is very clean, with a visibility of 40 meters. Xisha has a long stretch of continuous coral reefs. Sea plants and fishes of great variety live nearby and numerous sea birds inhabit the islands. In recent years, some tourists have started to discover the islands.

In the Sui Dynasty (AD 581-617), China sent envoys to current-day Malaysia through the South China Sea, stopping at Xisha. The Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) monk Yi Jing also went to India this way. In ancient times, merchant ships carrying porcelain, silk and spices all passed by here, on a route known as the “silk road of the sea.”

An important sea fortress connecting the Indian Ocean with the western Pacific, Xisha also boasts abundant natural resources. Before WWII, some of the islands were occupied by France. After the outbreak of the Pacific War, it was occupied by Japan. After the end of WWII, Xisha and other islands in the South China Sea returned to China.

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