Dongsha

alternative Tungsha · alternative Tung-sha

1. Synonym of Pratas.

   In 1933, Amoy marine biologists also surveyed the marine flora and fauna of Dongsha (Pratas) Island off Guangdong Province in the South China Sea.

   1986, Baruch Boxer, “Marine Science in China: Development and Prospects”, in Ocean Yearbook, volume 6, →ISBN, page 222

   3 more examples

   Several groups of tiny islands in the South China Sea—including the Dongsha (Pratas) and Sisha (Paracels) groups—have been placed under Guangdong's provincial jurisdiction, but are the subject of claims by other countries. Long considered insignificant, they have become a matter of serious contention because of the probability of offshore oil deposits in the area.

   1979, Frederic M. Kaplan, Julian M. Sobin, Stephen Andors, Encyclopedia of China Today, Eurasia Press, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 19

   In addition, the ROC maintains a historical claim to four groups of islands scattered over a vast area in the South China Sea that is surrounded by rich fishing grounds and gas and oil deposits. These are the Dongsha (Pratas) Islands 東沙群島, the Nansha (Spratly) Islands 南沙群島, the Xisha (Paracel) Islands 西沙群島, and the Zhongsha Islands (Macclesfield Bank) 中沙群島. Currently, the ROC's effective jurisdiction includes the Dongsha Islands, where a national park was established in 2007, as well as Taiping Island 太平島 and Zhongzhou Reef 中洲礁 of the Nansha Islands. The Dongsha Islands are located 444 kilometers southwest of Kaohsiung and comprise Dongsha Island 東沙島—a coral atoll with an area of 2.38 square kilometers—and two coral reefs. In addition to being a source of fish and minerals, the islands are used as a coast guard outpost. A hospital, a power station, a satellite tracking facility and a runway have also been built on Dongsha Island. . . . In keeping with the ROC's peaceful intentions, the Dongsha Islands, Taiping Island and Zhongzhou Reef have been transferred from military to civilian control. In 2000, responsibility for defending these islands passed from the Ministry of National Defense to the Coast Guard Administration, while the administration of the islands has been given to the Kaohsiung City government.

   2011, “Geography”, in The Republic of China Yearbook 2011, New Taipei: Government Information Office, →ISBN, pages 24–25

   A Chinese surveillance drone entered the airspace of Pratas, a Taiwan-controlled island in the South China Sea also known as Dongsha, for four minutes on Saturday.

   2026 January 17, Kathrin Hille, “China flies drone into Taiwan’s airspace for first time”, in Financial Times, archived from the original on 17 Jan 2026, Taiwan

   Synonyms: Pratas