21.   All seven spits lie between the major Philippine island of Palawan and Pag-asa, one of seven Spratly islands garrisoned by Philippine troops.

22.   Another outstanding territorial dispute is the claim over the Spratly islands by China, the Philippines, Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam.

23.   Aside from the Philippines and China, the Spratly islands also are being claimed wholly or partly by Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.

24.   BEIJING Regular Foreign Ministry media briefing with statements on ship movements near the disputed Spratly islands and the establishment of a new democratic party in Hong Kong probable.

25.   Burns said Tarnoff and Liu also discussed the fate of the disputed Spratly islands, claimed by six countries in the region.

26.   Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, China and Taiwan are involved in a dispute over the Spratly islands in the South China Sea.

27.   China on Sunday reassured ASEAN members that it was prepared to discuss the Spratly islands dispute on the basis of international law, boosting hopes of a peaceful settlement.

28.   China and several littoral states have varying claims on the Spratly islands just north of the Natunas.

29.   China is planning to conduct military exercises in the Spratly islands in the South China Sea, press reports on Thursday quoted Defense Secretary Renato De Villa as saying.

30.   China said Thursday its construction activities in the disputed Spratly islands posed no threat to the passage of ships in the South China Sea.