S4-E11 - Bird Droppings on Rocks: the surprising history of hotly contested South China Sea islands

On Saturday May 18th, 2024, a group of local lawmakers will visit
Taiping Island 太平島, a tiny strip of coral and sand in the
Spratly Islands more than 1,500 km away from the southern
tip of Taiwan. As anyone who reads the news knows, numerous
islands, reefs, shoals, and even barely visible rocks
scattered across the vast South China Sea are considered
flashpoints for World War III, as China, Taiwan, Vietnam, the
Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and even tiny Brunei each claim
some degree of  sovereignty. So, which claimant
really owns the Paracels? Who do the Spratly Islands really
belong to? In this week's island hopping adventure, we
simplify some complicated history; plus, John gets worked
into a mild frenzy over guano fertilizer while Eryk
gets a tad too territorial. 





We've got maps, pics and more at formosafiles.com