Gaven Reefs

Disputed reef
Gaven Reefs
Gaven Reefs
Other names	南薰礁 Nánxūn Jiāo (Chinese) 西南礁 Xīnán Jiāo (Chinese) Burgos Reefs (Philippine English) Mga Bahura ng Burgos (Filipino) Đá Ga Ven (Vietnamese) Đá Lạc (Vietnamese)
Geography
Location	South China Sea
Coordinates	10°12′30″N 114°13′30″E / 10.20833°N 114.22500°E / 10.20833; 114.22500
Archipelago	Spratly Islands
Administration
China
Province	Hainan
City	Sansha
Claimed by
China
Philippines
Taiwan
Vietnam

The Gaven Reefs, also known in Mandarin Chinese: 南薰礁; pinyin: Nánxūn Jiāo and Chinese: 西南礁; pinyin: Xīnán Jiāo; Burgos Reefs (Filipino: Mga Bahura ng Burgos, lit. 'Reefs of Burgos'); Vietnamese: Đá Ga Ven and Vietnamese: Đá Lạc, is a group of two reefs in the Tizard Bank of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.

They are occupied and controlled by China (PRC) as part of Sansha, and claimed by Taiwan (ROC), the Philippines and Vietnam. They have a supply platform and a reef fortress.

The northern reef (Nánxūn Jiāo) comprises 86 hectares (210 acres) and its highest point is 1.9 meters (6 feet 3 inches) above sea level. The southern reef (Xīnán Jiāo) comprises 67 ha (170 acres).^[1] Since 2014, north reef has been subject to significant reclamation activities.^[2]

On 12 July 2016, the tribunal of the Permanent Court of Arbitration concluded that for purposes of Article 121(3) of the Convention, the high-tide features at Gaven Reef (North) are rocks that cannot sustain human habitation or economic life of their own and accordingly shall be entitled to 12 nm of territorial sea measured from its baseline but have no exclusive economic zone or continental shelf.^[3] PCA also concluded that the features at Gaven Reef (South) are, or in their natural condition were, exposed at low tide and submerged at high tide and are, accordingly low-tide elevations that do not generate entitlement to a territorial sea, exclusive economic zone or continental shelf.^[3]

The supply platform at the reef has anti-aircraft guns, naval guns, search radars and radio communications equipment,^[4] and reclamation work during 2014–15 expanded its area to 0.136 square kilometres (0.053 sq mi).^[2]

In late 2016, photographs emerged which suggested that Hughes Reef has been armed with anti-aircraft weapons and a CIWS missile-defence system.^[5]

• Great wall of sand
• Nine-dotted line

• Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative Island Tracker

v t e Spratly Islands
Confrontations	Southwest Cay incident (1975) East Sea Campaign (1975) Johnson South Reef Skirmish (1988)
Regions	Dangerous Ground Loaita Bank London Reefs North Danger Reef Reed Tablemount Tizard Bank Union Banks
Occupied features	Brunei Louisa Reef China Cuarteron Reef Fiery Cross Reef Gaven Reefs Hughes Reef Johnson South Reef Mischief Reef Subi Reef Malaysia Ardasier Reef Dallas Reef Erica Reef Investigator Shoal Mariveles Reef Swallow Reef Philippines Commodore Reef Flat Island Irving Reef Lankiam Cay Loaita Cay Loaita Island Nanshan Island Northeast Cay Second Thomas Shoal Thitu Island West York Island Taiwan Taiping Island Zhongzhou Reef Vietnam Alison Reef Amboyna Cay Barque Canada Reef Bombay Castle Central London Reef Collins Reef Cornwallis South Reef Discovery Great Reef East London Reef Grierson Reef Ladd Reef Lansdowne Reef Namyit Island Pearson Reef Petley Reef Sand Cay Sin Cowe Island South Reef Southwest Cay Spratly Island Tennent Reef West London Reef
Unoccupied features	First Thomas Shoal Half Moon Shoal Luconia Shoals Northeast Investigator Shoal Royal Captain Shoal Sabina Shoal Third Thomas Shoal Western Reef Whitsun Reef
Related articles	Spratly Islands dispute Free Territory of Freedomland "Great Wall of Sand" List of airports in the Spratly Islands List of maritime features in the Spratly Islands Philippines and the Spratly Islands Republic of Morac-Songhrati-Meads Territorial disputes in the South China Sea Nine-dash line