一是最早发现：一些国家宣称南海岛礁是"无主地"，企图以所谓"先占原则"据为已有。事实上，早在公元前2世纪的汉代，中国就已经有了大规模、频繁的远洋航海及渔业捕捞活动，南海自古就是中国重要的海上航路，当时的中国人频繁航行于南海地区，最早发现了南海诸岛。著名南海问题学者马文·塞缪尔斯在上世纪80年代的著作《南海争端》中明确提出："是南海和南海上的岛礁帮助中国人在地理上形成了对世界秩序的认识。"

China was the first to discover the islands in the South China Sea. Some of the countries attempt to claim some of the islands on grounds of "prior possession". They try to get away with their illegal occupation by referring to Nansha Islands as "Terra Nullius". In fact, as early as 200 BC, during China's Han Dynasty, the Chinese had large-scale and frequent sea-faring and fishing activities in the South China Sea. There is clear evidence that the South China Sea was already used by China as an important shipping route since ancient times. It follows that, because of frequent shipping, the Chinese became the first to discover the islands in the South China Sea. Marwyn Samuels is known for his studies on the South China Sea. He wrote a book in the 1980s called ‘Contest for the South China Sea'. In this book he wrote: "Along the way, both literarily and figuratively, the South China Sea and its islands helped shape the geographical cognita of the Chinese world order."

二是最早命名：现在西方人多用SPRATLY群岛称呼中国的南沙群岛，这缘于1843年英国船长RICHARD SPRATLY 所谓"发现"并"命名"了南沙群岛。而事实是，两千多年前，中国人就已经开始认识南海，并在各种历史文献中将这片海域称为"涨海"，把海中的岛、礁、滩、沙称为"崎头"。后来历朝历代均出现了专指西沙、南沙群岛及其具体岛屿的古地名。明清时期形成的航海指南《更路簿》，更是详细记载了包括南沙群岛在内的南海诸岛数十处地名，不少沿用至今并被各国航海家广泛承认和采用。

Second, China was the first to name the islands in the South China Sea. Today, Nansha of the South China Sea is called the Spratly Islands in the west. This name comes from a British sea captain called Richard Spratly who thought it was he who had "discovered" and "named" the islands in 1843. But actually the Chinese had started to name the Nansha Islands about 2,000 years before he did. In various kinds of Chinese historical records dating back to over 2000 years, the South China Sea is known as "Zhang Hai", or "rising sea", and the islands, reefs, shoals and sands as "Qi Tou", or "rugged peaks". In historical documents of later dynasties after the Han Dynasty, ancient names referring to today's Xisha Islands, Nansha Islands and individual islands in the archipelagoes are clearly recorded. A popular sailing guide called "Geng Lu Bu" was compiled by Chinese fishermen. This was during the Ming and Qing Dynasties between the 14th and 20th century. In this book, names of dozens of islands of the South China Sea, including those in Nansha, are recorded. Many of these names have been widely adopted and used by international sailors until this day.

三是最早实施行政管辖：自1200多年前的唐代开始，中国历代政府就不断通过行政设治、水师巡视、资源开发管理等方式对南海诸岛进行有效管辖。到公元10世纪的宋代，地方志明确记载南海诸岛属琼州也就是现在的中国海南省管辖。公元1279年，元代著名天文学家郭守敬曾到南海开展测量活动并建立天文观测据点。明清两代也均将南海纳入水师巡防范围。

Third, China was the first to exercise administrative jurisdiction in the South China Sea. Ever since China's Tang Dynasty, about 1,200 years ago, successive Chinese governments have exercised jurisdiction over the South China Sea. This included islands and the waters around them. China's sovereignty was established through administrative establishment, naval patrol, resources development and management. In the 10th century, during China's Song Dynasty, local chronicles explicitly recorded that the islands in the South China Sea were under the administrative jurisdiction of Qiongzhou, which is today's Hainan province. In 1279, China's famous astronomer Guo Shoujing was recorded traveling to the South China Sea and building observatorial facilities. The Governments of the Ming and Qing dynasties both placed the South China Sea under the supervision of naval patrols.