China News

Chinese Territorial Strife Hits Archaeology

China Has Begun Asserting Ownership of Thousands of Shipwrecks in the South China Sea

Updated Dec. 2, 2013 1:35 a.m. ET

Underwater archaeologist Franck Goddio's team was exploring the wreckage of a 13th-century Chinese junk off the coast of the Philippines when it made an unwelcome discovery about China's maritime muscle in the 21st century.

As a twin-prop plane swooped overhead, a Chinese marine-surveillance vessel approached the team's Philippines-registered ship and began broadcasting instructions in English over a loudspeaker.


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