The Spratly Islands are a group of 100 or more islands that is currently the centerpiece of a major debacle in East Asian politics. People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines are the main claimers of territory upon this archipelago. The subject of the political disputes are mainly because of

a)The discovery of rich oil and gas grounds in 1968 in the region.
b)The rich fishing grounds that are well known in the commercial fishing industry
c)The region being one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.
All of these make the Spratlys a huge asset to whichever country achieves successful claim over the territory.