Paracel Islands

The Paracel Islands, known as the Xisha Islands in China and the Hoang Sa Archipelago in Vietnam, is a group of more than 30 islands in the South China Sea located between the coastlines of Vietnam and China. They are currently controlled by China but also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam. The islands were the scene of a naval battle between China and then South Vietnam in January 1974, after which China gained control of the entire archipelago.