South China Sea Map: Live Conflict Map & Key Locations
A satellite map of the South China Sea conflict — Scarborough Shoal, Second Thomas Shoal (Ayungin) and Woody Island (Yongxing) — with a sourced, dated control status for 3 of the 8 locations plotted below.
Open the full South China Sea tracker →Current situation
The South China Sea features overlapping territorial and maritime claims among China and several Southeast Asian states, with island-building, militarization, and frequent confrontations between coast guards and vessels.
Key actors: China (PRC) — asserting expansive maritime claims. Philippines, Vietnam and others — rival claimant states. United States — conducting freedom-of-navigation operations. Regional navies and coast guards — involved in incidents at sea.
What's at stake: Freedom of navigation — one of the world's busiest trade routes. Sovereignty disputes — contested reefs and waters. Militarization — artificial islands and bases. Escalation risk — incidents drawing in outside powers.
South China Sea conflict map — key locations
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Scarborough Shoalregion15.1233, 117.7644
Reef claimed by both China and the Philippines, roughly 220 km from the Philippine coast; the scene of a 2012 standoff and repeated clashes since, including three incidents in a single week in July 2026.
Control: China maintains a de facto coast guard presence since the 2012 standoff; the Philippines continues to assert its claim — Council on Foreign Relations, Global Conflict Tracker, as of 2026-08-02
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Second Thomas Shoal (Ayungin)region9.7147, 115.8617
Reef within the Philippines' claimed exclusive economic zone where a deliberately grounded Philippine navy ship, BRP Sierra Madre, maintains a small garrison; the site of a June 17, 2026 vessel collision.
Control: Philippines maintains a military outpost via the grounded BRP Sierra Madre; China Coast Guard vessels conduct regular harassment patrols nearby — Council on Foreign Relations, Global Conflict Tracker, as of 2026-08-02
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Woody Island (Yongxing)base16.8342, 112.3383
Largest of the Paracel Islands, administered by China as the seat of Sansha City.
Control: China, which has militarized the island with fighter jets, cruise missiles, and a radar system — Council on Foreign Relations, Global Conflict Tracker, as of 2026-08-02
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Mischief Reefbase9.8917, 115.5325
Reef in the Spratly Islands, within the Philippines' claimed exclusive economic zone, where an artificial island with a military-capable airstrip has been built.
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Fiery Cross Reefbase9.5443, 112.8891
Reef in the Spratly Islands developed into an artificial island with an airstrip, radar, and other military facilities.
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Itu Aba (Taiping Island)base10.3833, 114.3667
Largest naturally occurring island in the Spratly group, administered by Taiwan and garrisoned by its Coast Guard Administration.
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Palawanport9.8349, 118.7384
Philippine island province closest to the contested Spratly Islands, host to Philippine naval facilities that support resupply missions to outlying garrisons.
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Subic Baybase14.7942, 120.2825
Former US naval base on Luzon now used as a Philippine military and commercial port, increasingly hosting joint exercises with US and allied forces amid South China Sea tensions.
Where to go for the full picture
This map page is a fast, visual companion. The 8 locations plotted above (3 with a sourced, dated control status) are the same ones listed under the map heading, colour-keyed to match their pin. For the complete profile — actors, conflict type, intensity, timeline, and continuously updated headlines — see the Full South China Sea conflict tracker.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a live map of the South China Sea conflict?
Yes. This page plots 8 key locations for the South China Sea conflict on a satellite map, 3 of them with a sourced, dated control status, covering the areas most frequently searched for. Coordinates and descriptions are listed below the map for anyone whose browser cannot load the interactive layer.
How current is the control status shown here?
Every control claim on this page shows the source it came from and the date it was current as of, directly beneath the location it describes. Locations without a listed control status are shown for geographic reference only, without an unsourced control claim.
Where can I read the full South China Sea conflict briefing?
See the Full South China Sea conflict tracker for the complete profile, or the South China Sea conflict briefing for deeper analysis.
Source provenance
- Council on Foreign Relations, Global Conflict Tracker 3 days · as of 2026-08-02
- News feed 0 days · as of 2026-08-05
| Date | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-05 | Headlines refreshed | News feed |
| 2026-08-02 | Scarborough Shoal control updated | Council on Foreign Relations, Global Conflict Tracker |
| 2026-08-02 | Second Thomas Shoal (Ayungin) control updated | Council on Foreign Relations, Global Conflict Tracker |
| 2026-08-02 | Woody Island (Yongxing) control updated | Council on Foreign Relations, Global Conflict Tracker |