History
The countries with the most extensive activity in the South China Sea Islands are China and Vietnam.
In the 19th century, as a part of the occupation of Indochina, France claimed control of the Spratlys until the 1930s, exchanging a few with the British. During World War II, the Islands were annexed by Japan.
The People's Republic of China founded in 1949 claimed the islands as part of the province of Canton (Guangdong), and later of the Hainan special administrative region.
Read more about this topic: South China Sea Islands
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