Sin Cowe Island

In S. China Sea disputed by CHN/PHL/VNM

09°53′07″N 114°19′47″E / 9.88528°N 114.32972°E / 9.88528; 114.32972ArchipelagoSpratly IslandsAdministration

Vietnam

DistrictTrường Sa District, Khánh HòaCommuneSinh Tồn CommuneClaimed by

China

Philippines

Taiwan

Vietnam

DemographicsPopulation31^{[citation needed]}

Sin Cowe Island 9°53′7″N 114°19′47″E / 9.88528°N 114.32972°E / 9.88528; 114.32972, also known as Sinh Ton Island^[1] (Vietnamese: Đảo Sinh Tồn); Rurok Island (Filipino: Pulo ng Rurok, lit. 'Island of Peak'); Mandarin Chinese: 景宏島/景宏岛; pinyin: Jǐnghóng Dǎo, is an island in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. With an area of 8 hectares (20 acres), it is the seventh largest Spratly island and the third largest of those occupied by Vietnam. It has a fringing reef which is above water at low tide.^[2]

This island has been controlled by Vietnam since 1974, first by South Vietnam's ARVN Navy, followed by the Navy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam after 1975. The island is also claimed by China, the Philippines^[3] and Taiwan.

It is part of the Union Banks.^[4]

Topography and Structures

Sin Cowe island is garrisoned by Vietnamese soldiers. The structures on it include a two-storied government building, anti aircraft guns, artillery and a Vietnamese Sovereignty marker.^[5]

There is also a civilian population with a school, children's playground, medical station and wind turbines for electricity generation.^[6]

Chigua Jiao (Johnson South Reef)

Đá Cô Lin
(Collins Reef,
Johnson North Reef)

Loveless Reef

Gent Reef

Sinh Tồn (Sin Cowe Island)

Edmund Reef

McKennan Reef

Dōngmén Jiāo (Hughes Reef)

Hallet Reef

Holiday Reef

Empire Reef

Whitson Reef

Ross Reef

Sinh Tồn Đông (Grierson Reef/ Sin Cowe East Island)

Bamford Reef

Tetley Reef

unknown Reef

Jones Reef

Higgens Reef

Đá Len Đao (Landsdowne Reef)

References

^ Valencia, Mark J.; Van Dyke, Jon M.; Ludwig, Noel A. (July 1999). Sharing the Resources of the West Philippine Sea. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. p. 31. ISBN 0824818814. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
^ Cole, Bernard (1 October 2001). The Great Wall at Sea: China's Navy Enters the Twenty-first Century (First ed.). U.S. Naval Institute Press. p. 207. ISBN 1557502390. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
^ Rosen, Mark E. (19 August 2014). "A CNA Occasional Paper - Philippine Claims in the South China Sea: A Legal Analysis". South China Sea: Facts and Legal Aspects. CNA Corporation’s Strategic Studies (CSS) division. Retrieved 16 September 2021. The ubiquitous KIG claim by the Philippines carries little legal weight. It stands on the same footing as the nine-dashed-line claim. Also, it was made later than the claims of China, the ROC, and Vietnam.
^ "Digital Gazetteer of Spratly Islands". www.southchinasea.org. 19 August 2011. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
^ "Photos of Sin Cowe island". South sea conversations. 14 June 2012. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
^ "The peaceful life on Truong Sa". Vietnam Pictorial. HaNoi-Vietnam: Vietnam News Agency. 30 June 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2021. Photo caption: Teacher and students at the primary school on Sinh Ton island commune.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sin Cowe Island.

Maritime Transparency Initiative Island Tracker

Spratly Islands

Confrontations

Regions

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

South China Sea

Pratas Island

Pratas Island
North Vereker Bank
South Vereker Bank

Paracel Islands

Amphitrite Group	Rocky Island Tree Island West Sand Woody Island Qilian Yu
Crescent Group	Money Island Robert Island Yagong Island
Other features	Bombay Reef Triton Island

Northeastern SCS

Spratly Islands

Dangerous
Ground

NW	North Danger Reef Northeast Cay Southwest Cay Thitu Reefs Thitu Island Subi Reef Loaita Bank Lankiam Cay Loaita Cay Loaita Island Tizard Bank Gaven Reefs Namyit Island Sand Cay Taiping Island Zhongzhou Reef NNW Irving Reef West York Island WNW Western Reef
NE	Flat Island Nanshan Island Reed Tablemount Third Thomas Shoal
SE	Commodore Reef First Thomas Shoal Mischief Reef Sabina Shoal Second Thomas Shoal
SW	Union Banks Collins Reef Hughes Reef Johnson South Reef Sin Cowe Island Ardasier Reef Cornwallis South Reef Dallas Reef Erica Reef Investigator Shoal Mariveles Reef