<P> In the 19th century, as a part of the occupation of Indochina, France claimed control of the Spratlys until the 1930s, exchanging a few with the British . During World War II, the South China Sea islands were all occupied by Japan . After the end of World War II, Japan returned all the South China Sea Islands back to China, which had been agreed by the Allied Nations . </P> <P> The People's Republic of China, founded in 1949, claimed the islands as part of the province of Canton (Guangdong), and later of the Hainan special administrative region . </P> <P> The Republic of China (ROC) named 132 of the South China Sea Islands in 1932 and 1935 . In 1933, the Chinese government lodged an official protest to the French government after its occupation of Taiping Island . After World War II, the Chinese government received the islands from the surrendering Japanese, according to international treaties made by the Allied Nations . In 1947, the Ministry of Interior of China renamed 149 of the islands . Later, in November 1947, the Secretaritat of Guangdong Government of China was authorised to publish the Map of the South China Sea Islands . </P> <P> The Japanese and the French renounced their claims as soon as their respective occupations or colonisations ended . </P>

Location of man made islands in south china sea