ill give you three articles and then you are going to respond the questions i ask you, ok?

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(article 1) Countries have wrangled over territory in the South China Sea for centuries, but tension has grown in recent years. In particular, China's sweeping claims - which include sovereignty claims over land parcels and their adjacent waters - have angered competing claimants like Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei. The other countries have staked claims on islands and various zones in the sea, such as the Paracels and the Spratlys. China has backed its expansive claims with island-building and naval patrols. The US says it does not take sides in territorial disputes, but has sent military ships and planes near disputed islands in what it calls "freedom of navigation" operations. Japan, which has no direct stake in the South China Sea, also provides ships and military equipment to claimants like Vietnam and the Philippines. There are fears that the area is becoming a flashpoint, with potentially serious global consequences. Why are countries interested in these waters? The South China Sea is a major shipping route. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development estimates that over 21% of global trade, amounting to $3.37 trillion, transited through these waters in 2016. It is also home to rich fishing grounds that provide for the livelihoods of millions of people across the region. More than half of the world's fishing vessels operate in this area. Although largely uninhabited, the Paracels and the Spratlys may have reserves of natural resources around them. There has been little detailed exploration of the area, so estimates are largely extrapolated from the mineral wealth of neighbouring areas. The nine-dash line and other claims China claims by far the largest portion of territory in an area demarcated by its so-called "nine-dash line". The line comprises nine dashes which extends hundreds of miles south and east from its most southerly province of Hainan. In 1947, China issued a map, external detailing its claims, and insists history backs up its claims - Beijing says its right to the area goes back centuries to when the Paracel and Spratly island chains were regarded as integral parts of the Chinese nation. These claims are mirrored by Taiwan. However, critics say China has not been specific about what exactly its claim includes, and that the nine-dash line that appears on Chinese maps encompassing almost the entirety of the South China Sea includes no coordinates. It is also not clear whether China claims only land territory within the nine-dash line, or all the maritime space within it as well. Vietnam hotly disputes China's historical account, saying China had never claimed sovereignty over the islands before the 1940s. Vietnam says it has actively ruled over both the Paracels and the Spratlys since the 17th Century - and has the documents to prove it. The other major claimant to the area is the Philippines, which invokes its geographical proximity to the Spratly Islands as the main basis of its claim for part of the grouping. Both the Philippines and China also lay claim to the Scarborough Shoal (known as Huangyan Island in China) - a little more than 100 miles (160km) from the Philippines and 500 miles from China. Malaysia and Brunei also lay claim to territory in the South China Sea that they say falls within their economic exclusion zones, as defined by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, or UNCLOS. Brunei does not claim any of the disputed islands, but Malaysia claims a small number of islands in the Spratlys. The most serious trouble in recent decades has flared between Vietnam and China, and there have also been stand-offs between the Philippines and China. Some of the incidents include:

In 1974, the Chinese seized the Paracels from Vietnam, killing more than 70 Vietnamese troops.
In 1988, the two sides clashed in the Spratlys, with Vietnam again coming off worse, losing about 60 sailors.
In early 2012, China and the Philippines engaged in a lengthy maritime stand-off, accusing each other of intrusions in the Scarborough Shoal. Unverified claims that the Chinese navy sabotaged two Vietnamese exploration operations in late 2012 led to large anti-China protests on Vietnam's streets.
In January 2013, Manila said it was taking China to a UN tribunal under the auspices of the UN Convention on the Laws of the Sea, to challenge its claims.
In May 2014, the introduction by China of a drilling rig into waters near the Paracel Islands led to multiple collisions between Vietnamese and Chinese ships.
In June 2019, Manila accused a Chinese trawler of ramming a Filipino fishing boat with 22 people on board. The Filipinos were rescued by the Vietnamese.
In early 2023, the Philippines said Chinese vessels have been shining lasers at Filipino boats to temporarily blind their crew. They also accuse the Chinese of dangerous manoeuvres by sailing too close or blocking the Filipinos' path.
Hollywood: Caught in the controversy
Claimant countries have been banning films depicting contested territorial claims in the South China Sea.
Most recently, Vietnam banned the upcoming Barbie film - due for release in July 2023 - over its portrayal of a map that includes the nine-dash line. Senators in the Philippines also criticised the map's inclusion in the movie. It should come with "an explicit disclaimer that the nine-dash line is a figment of China's imagination", according to one lawmaker.
Korean pop super group Blackpink also came under fire in Vietnam in July 2023 after their concert promoter's website featured a map with Beijing's nine-dash line.
In 2019, DreamWorks' animated children's movie Abominable also incurred the ire of several South East Asian countries. Vietnam pulled the film, Malaysia cut the scene depicting the map, while the Philippines called for a DreamWorks boycott. Abominable is the first co-production between the US company and China's Pearl Studio production firm.
In 2018, Vietnamese censors cut a second-long clip in Crazy Rich Asians featuring a designer bag with a world map that showed the disputed area under Beijing's control.
Have they tried to reach a resolution? China prefers bilateral negotiations with the other parties. But many of its neighbours argue that China's relative size and clout give it an unfair advantage. Some countries have argued that China should negotiate with Asean (the Association of South East Asian Nations), a 10-member regional grouping that consists of Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia. However, China is opposed to this, while Asean is also divided over how to resolve the dispute. The Philippines has sought international arbitration instead. In 2013, it announced it would take China to an arbitration tribunal under the auspices of the UN Convention on the Laws of the Sea, to challenge its claims. In July 2016, the tribunal backed the Philippines' case, saying China had violated the Philippines' sovereign rights. China had boycotted the proceedings and called the ruling "ill-founded". It says it will not be bound by it.

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(Article 2) territorial disputes in the South China Sea, series of conflicts arising from the overlapping territorial claims of several countries that border the South China Sea. In recent decades China has been widely seen as the conflicts’ primary driver. While countries have long disagreed on the sea’s precise international demarcations, China has moved ever closer to demanding exclusive economic and military rights over the vast majority of the South China Sea. While their claims and approaches differ, Chinese and Taiwanese officials both have argued that the South China Sea constitutes “historical waters.” They have represented their claims, encompassing roughly 90 percent of the sea, on maps by using a U-shaped boundary line made up of 9 to 11 dashes (commonly known as the “9-dash line”). This line’s geographic coordinates and legal basis are vague and conflict with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The primary countries affected by the Chinese territorial claims are Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei, but many stakeholders from outside the region, most notably the United States, have become involved in the disputes and have aimed to check Chinese ambition. Physiography and economic factors. The South China Sea—known in Vietnam as the East Sea and in the Philippines as the West Philippine Sea—is the area of the Pacific Ocean bounded by Southeast Asia to the west, China to the north, Taiwan and the Taiwan Strait to the northeast, the Philippines to the east, and the Indonesian archipelago to the south. The sea contains strategically vital shipping lanes, which, according to a 2017 study conducted by ChinaPower (a project of the Center for Strategic and International Studies), carried some $3.4 trillion in trade (constituting about one-fifth of global trade) in 2016. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, undersea explorations have uncovered reserves of natural gas and crude oil, though the size of these reserves is widely contested. Key land features in the sea include the Paracel Islands, the Scarborough Shoal, and the Spratly Islands. The primary claimants in the disputes are China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia. Indonesia has insisted on its neutrality in the disputes but has separately struggled with Chinese incursions into its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), a UNCLOS designation that grants coastal states exclusive rights to fishing and resource extraction in an area of up to 200 nautical miles (370 km) from their coasts. 20th-century history The origins of the contemporary conflict over the South China Sea can be traced to changes in East Asian geopolitics following World War II (1939–45). China’s historical claims to the sea date to the so-called “11-dash line,” introduced in 1947 by the Nationalists (Kuomintang) under Chiang Kai-shek, during the Chinese Civil War (1945–49). The map that included the 11-dash line emphasized Chinese sovereignty and reflected nationalist pride after what many Chinese considered to have been a century of humiliation by foreign powers. When the Communists under Mao Zedong defeated the Nationalists in the civil war and established the People’s Republic of China, the new government in Beijing claimed successor status to the Republic of China and its nautical territorial claims, which it modified slightly by changing the 11-dash line of the 1947 map to a 9-dash line. The disputes over ownership of the South China Sea remained relatively dormant until the 1970s when China began asserting its vast territorial claims after discovering potential oil and gas reserves in the sea. In 1974 China seized the Paracel Islands from South Vietnam; more than 65 Vietnamese soldiers were killed in the process. China then took possession of Johnson Reef (part of the Spratly Islands) from Vietnam in 1988 and Mischief Reef (also part of the Spratlys), claimed by the Philippines, in 1994. China now controls the Paracel Islands in their entirety. The plurality of the Spratlys’ reefs and islands are controlled by Vietnam, while the Philippines and China each claim and operate on a sizable portion of the archipelago. Malaysia and Brunei both have claimed some features of the Spratly Islands as well as EEZs off their coasts that overlap with China’s claims. Early 21st-century developments. Since the early 21st century, an aggressive campaign of land reclamation (frequently referred to as “island building”) by China has significantly increased the country’s presence in the South China Sea. China has built military infrastructure, including naval bases and airstrips, on the reclaimed land. The Chinese also have sought to exercise their claims through nonmilitary means—for example, by sending massive fishing fleets into the EEZs of other countries. In 2014 China moved an oil rig into Vietnamese waters, sparking massive protests in Vietnam. Moreover, in attempting to block rivals’ efforts, most claimants have made arrests of foreign fishermen and sailors in waters they consider to be their own. In 2013 the Philippines attempted to solve the crisis through the International Criminal Court (ICC), taking China to the arbitral tribunal under the terms of UNCLOS. In 2016 the court ruled that the nine-dash line was invalid and that in areas of conflict between Chinese historical claims and UNCLOS boundaries, the latter superseded the former. The court further ruled that China’s island building, fishing practices, and interference with Philippine fishing in areas within the Philippines’ EEZ were unlawful. The ruling was rejected by China, which refused to participate in the ICC proceedings. However, Taiwan and various other countries also rejected the court’s decision. Supporters of the ruling included the United States, Japan, and Australia. ASEAN members were largely split, and the organization failed to produce a unified statement. Escalation in the 2020s. In the early 2020s tensions intensified as maritime confrontations increased, especially between China and the Philippines, leading to joint naval drills between the Philippines and the United States in the South China Sea. In August 2023 China revealed a revised map of its territory in the South China Sea, which claimed an even larger portion of the sea. A 10th dash was added to include the island of Taiwan and nearly the entirety of the Spratly Islands as Chinese territory. Several countries rejected the map. Other territorial claimants have responded to Chinese expansion through various means. Most notably, Vietnam has also undertaken land reclamation and military buildups on island features. Indonesia and the Philippines have attempted to rally international support to prevent Chinese encroachment on their EEZs. For its part, the United States, which has no territorial claims in the region and officially maintains neutrality in the disputes, has nevertheless sought to check Chinese encroachment against its allies in the South China Sea. In a 2022 press statement U.S. Pres. Joe Biden’s administration called on China to adhere to the 2016 arbitral ruling and pledged that the United States would support its ally the Philippines in maintaining order in the region. The United States also has forged several regional security mechanisms—including AUKUS (with the United Kingdom and Australia) and the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (comprising the United States, Australia, India, and Japan)—and has sought partnerships with some ASEAN countries. China’s ambitions in the South China Sea have deeply alienated some of its neighboring countries, driving them, some analysts argue, into the arms of the United States as the two superpowers strive to protect their national interests in the Pacific. Tensions in the South China Sea were a key topic of discussion at the 2024 Shangri-La Dialogue, an intergovernmental conference hosted annually in Singapore by the International Institute for Strategic Studies. The 2024 conference was particularly charged, following recent incidents where Philippine vessels were rammed and blasted with high-pressure water cannons by Chinese coast guard ships. Philippine Pres. Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., in the opening keynote address of the conference, criticized “illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive actions” in the region, carefully avoiding direct references to China. Responding to a question from an audience member, he said that the death of a Philippine citizen because of the use of water cannons in the South China Sea would be “very, very close to...an act of war.” He also emphasized the Philippines’ dedication to ASEAN centrality and its alliances with countries such as the United States, Japan, Australia, and India.

Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun maintained that China’s “strategic culture is anchored in universal love and non-aggression,” and implied that the Philippines was antagonizing China after being “emboldened by outside powers.” Dong went on to say that “China has recognized great restraint in the face of such infringements and provocations, but there is a limit to our restraint.” U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated that American commitment to the Philippines is “ironclad” and commended Marcos for his statement “about how the Philippines is standing up for its sovereign rights under international law.” He also stressed the importance of diplomatic engagement to avoid conflict, stating that “war or a fight with China is neither imminent…or unavoidable. Leaders of great power nations need to continue to work together to ensure that we’re doing things to reduce the opportunities for miscalculation and misunderstandings.”

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(Article 3, last article)

China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea has steadily increased, resulting in heightened tensions with Southeast Asian claimant states, particularly the Philippines, at the Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands. Background China’s sweeping claims of sovereignty over the sea—and the sea’s estimated 11 billion barrels of untapped oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas—have antagonized competing claimants Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. As early as the 1970s, countries began to claim islands and various zones in the South China Sea, such as the Spratly Islands, which possess rich natural resources and fishing areas. The failure of Chinese and Southeast Asian leaders to resolve the disputes diplomatically could undermine international laws governing maritime disputes and encourage destabilizing arms buildups. China maintains [PDF] that, under international law, foreign militaries cannot conduct intelligence-gathering activities, such as reconnaissance flights, in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). According to the United States, claimant countries, under the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), should have freedom of navigation through EEZs in the sea and are not required to notify claimants of military activities. In July 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague ruled on a claim brought against China by the Philippines under UNCLOS, ruling in favor of the Philippines on almost every count. While China is a signatory to the treaty establishing the tribunal, it refuses to accept the court’s authority. In recent years, satellite imagery has shown China’s increased efforts to reclaim land in the South China Sea by physically increasing the islands' size or creating new ones altogether. In addition to piling sand onto existing reefs, China has constructed ports, military installations, and airstrips—particularly in the Paracel and Spratly Islands, where it has twenty and seven outposts, respectively. China has militarized Woody Island by deploying fighter jets, cruise missiles, and a radar system. The United States, which maintains important interests in ensuring freedom of navigation and securing sea lines of communication (SLOCs), has expressed support for an agreement on a binding code of conduct and other confidence-building measures. China’s claims threaten SLOCs, which are important maritime passages that facilitate trade and the movement of naval forces. To protect its political, security, and economic interests in the region, the United States has challenged China’s assertive territorial claims and land reclamation efforts by conducting freedom of navigation operations and bolstering support for Southeast Asian partners. Washington’s defense treaty with Manila could draw the United States into a potential China-Philippines conflict over the substantial natural gas deposits or lucrative fishing grounds in disputed territory.
Also, in response to China’s assertive presence in the disputed territory, Japan has sold military ships and equipment to the Philippines and Vietnam to improve their maritime security capacity and to deter Chinese aggression.Recent Developments. Upon assuming office in June 2022, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. rejected the conciliatory stance toward China adopted by his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte. The Philippines’ most contentious disputes with China center on the Second Thomas Shoal of the Spratly Islands, which lies within the Philippines’ 200-mile EEZ. In 1999, the Philippines intentionally grounded a ship to reinforce its territorial claims to the area which it calls the West Philippine Sea. Since then, the Philippine Coast Guard has conducted monthly resupply missions to its military contingent on the ship, known as the BRP Sierra Madre. Chinese Coast Guard vessels began to employ dangerous tactics to harass Philippine resupply missions in 2023, leading to heightened clashes. Collisions have become increasingly common, and the Chinese Coast Guard has used a military-grade laser and repeatedly fired water cannons against Philippine ships. On June 17, a Chinese vessel and a Philippine supply ship collided near the Second Thomas Shoal; both sides blamed the other for the incident. Amid the rise in tensions with China, the Philippines has strengthened its partnerships with other Indo-Pacific neighbors. Marcos has signed deals to increase base access, joint exercise training, and weapons transfers with the United States. In March 2024, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin confirmed that the United States’ Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines extended to both countries’ armed forces, public vessels, and aircraft in the South China Sea. Meanwhile, Japan has also stepped up its presence in recent years by selling military equipment to the Philippines and Vietnam to improve maritime security capacity.

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Describe the conflict in the South China Sea, touch on some details about who is involved, what resources are being disputed, and what is being done.

(original and like a 9th grader wrote it)

The conflict in the South China Sea is a disagreement among several countries over who owns certain areas of land and water in this important region. The main players in this dispute are China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan.

China claims a huge part of the South China Sea, marked by a map that shows a "nine-dash line," which includes many islands and their surrounding waters. This area is important for multiple reasons, including rich fishing grounds, potential oil and natural gas reserves, and major shipping routes. In fact, over 21% of the world's trade passes through these waters, making it a crucial economic area.

The tensions have been escalating in recent years as China has built artificial islands and military bases, making its presence stronger. Other countries, like the Philippines and Vietnam, feel threatened by these actions and have started to strengthen their own military capabilities, partly with help from allies like the United States and Japan.

The United States, although it does not claim any territory in the region, supports those countries that are involved in the dispute. It conducts “freedom of navigation” operations, sending military ships and planes through the area to challenge China’s claims.

Many countries have tried to resolve this conflict through negotiations and international courts. For example, the Philippines took China to a tribunal in 2016, which ruled that China's claims have no legal basis. However, China did not accept this ruling and continues to assert its claims.

In summary, the South China Sea conflict involves multiple countries fighting over valuable resources and strategic territory, with ongoing military build-ups and international diplomatic efforts failing to bring a lasting resolution.

choose two of the nations involved in the conflict and critique their actions. Are their actions justified or unjustified? Legal or illegal? Moral or immoral? How does the evidence in your sources support your critique?

a) Find two nations involved in the conflict in the South China Sea, what acitons are they taking.
b) Are their actions justified or unjustified?
c) Are they Legal or illegal?
d) Moral or immoral?
e) Your opinion on their actions, do you support them?

(write these answer separately. original and like a 9th grader wrote it)

### a) Two Nations Involved in the Conflict

Let’s look at **China** and the **Philippines** in the South China Sea conflict. China has been aggressively expanding its claims, building artificial islands, and establishing military bases in disputed areas. It has also sent its coast guard to confront Philippine ships and has even used tactics like shining lasers at them. On the other hand, the Philippines has been trying to assert its own claims by conducting resupply missions to its military stationed at the Second Thomas Shoal, which is within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The Philippine government has also sought support from allies like the United States to deter Chinese aggression.

### b) Justification of Actions

China's actions can be seen as unjustified because they are claiming a vast area that includes the territories and waters of other countries. The aggressive behavior, such as using military vessels to intimidate neighboring countries, is not an acceptable way to resolve disputes. The Philippines, however, appears justified in its actions since they are trying to protect their territory and maintain their rights in these waters. They are responding to China’s provocations and trying to uphold their sovereignty.

### c) Legality of Actions

China's actions can be viewed as illegal under international law because they violate the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which defines the rights of nations in territorial waters. The 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration supported the Philippines' claims and stated that China's nine-dash line has no legal basis. The Philippines, in contrast, is acting legally by asserting its rights under international law and using diplomatic channels and alliances to defend its claims.

### d) Morality of Actions

From a moral standpoint, China's actions are arguably immoral because they involve bullying smaller nations and disregarding established international laws. This not only puts potential lives at risk but also harms regional stability. The Philippines' actions, however, can be considered moral, as they are defending their own people and resources against aggression and seeking international support to uphold their rights.

### e) Opinion on Their Actions

In my opinion, the Philippines is taking the right approach to defend its claims in the South China Sea. They are trying to stand up against China's aggressive tactics while following international law. I believe they deserve support from other countries like the U.S. to help maintain peace in the region. Conversely, China's actions seem unjustified and illegal, as they are trying to push their territorial claims at the expense of their neighbors. I think that nations should resolve their differences through diplomacy rather than force.

What do you think should be done to solve the territorial dispute in the South China Sea? Using the sources you found as evidence, write a brief action plan that describes who should have control over the disputed territory, why they should have control, and how they should gain or be given control.

a) In your opinon how do you think the conflict in the South China Sea should be resolved?
b) Who should have control over the disputed territory?
c) Why should they have control?
d) How will they gain or be given control?

(write these answer separately. original and like a 9th grader wrote it)

### a) Opinion on Conflict Resolution

In my opinion, the conflict in the South China Sea should be resolved through international cooperation and diplomacy rather than force. A peaceful resolution is essential to ensure stability in the region and to avoid potential military conflicts. Countries involved in the dispute should actively seek mediation from international organizations like the United Nations and follow the principles set by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

### b) Who Should Have Control Over the Disputed Territory

I believe that control over the disputed territory should primarily belong to the countries that are geographically closest and have historical claims to the areas, such as the **Philippines** and **Vietnam**. These nations have been actively engaged with these waters for generations and have shown evidence of their presence through fishing and administration of the islands.

### c) Why They Should Have Control

The Philippines and Vietnam should have control over these disputed territories because they are rightfully within their exclusive economic zones (EEZ) as defined by UNCLOS, which grants coastal countries rights to resources up to 200 nautical miles from their shores. The Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in favor of the Philippines in 2016, stating that China’s claims based on the nine-dash line lack legal standing. This ruling supports the idea that the territorial rights of nations should be recognized based on legal agreements and international law.

### d) How They Will Gain or Be Given Control

To gain or be officially given control over the disputed territory, the Philippines and Vietnam should continue to engage in diplomatic talks and seek support from international allies. They could call for a binding agreement with China and other claimants to demarcate these areas based on existing international laws and the 2016 ruling. Additionally, they should advocate for a multilateral approach involving ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) to present a united front against aggressive actions. By working together with other nations and using international legal frameworks, they can effectively assert their rights and gain recognition for their control over the disputed waters.

ill give you another 3 articles for you to answer the next questions, ok?

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(article 1)Three Gorges Dam, dam on the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang) just west of the city of Yichang in Hubei province, China. When construction of the dam officially began in 1994, it was the largest engineering project in China. At the time of its completion in 2006, it was the largest dam structure in the world. The dam and accompanying hydroelectric plant were built in phases and over the course of many years. It reached its full generating capacity in 2012. The dam allows the navigation of oceangoing freighters and generates hydroelectric power. It was also intended to provide protection from floods, but efficacy on this point is unclear and has been debated. While the construction of the Three Gorges Dam was an engineering feat, it has also been fraught with controversy: construction of the dam caused the displacement of at least 1.3 million people and the destruction of natural features and countless rare architectural and archaeological sites. The dam’s reservoir is blamed for an increase in the number of landslides and earthquakes in the region. Physical description and capacity of the Three Gorges Dam. A straight-crested concrete gravity structure, the Three Gorges Dam is 2,335 metres (7,660 feet) long with a maximum height of 185 metres (607 feet). It incorporates 28 million cubic metres (37 million cubic yards) of concrete and 463,000 metric tons of steel into its design. Submerging large areas of the Qutang, Wu, and Xiling gorges for some 600 km (375 miles) upstream, the dam has created an immense deepwater reservoir allowing oceangoing freighters to navigate 2,250 km (1,400 miles) inland from Shanghai on the East China Sea to the inland city of Chongqing. Navigation of the dam and reservoir is facilitated by the five-tier ship locks at both ends of the complex, which allow vessels of up to 10,000 tons to navigate past the dam, and a ship lift, which allows vessels of up to 3,000 tons to bypass the ship locks and travel past the dam more quickly. At the time of its completion in late 2015, the lift, which was 120 metres (394 feet) long, 18 metres (59 feet) wide, and 3.5 metres (11 feet) deep, was the largest ship lift in the world. Limited hydroelectric power production began in 2003 and gradually increased as additional turbine generators came online over the years until 2012, when all of the dam’s 32 turbine generator units were operating. Those units, along with 2 additional generators, gave the dam the capacity to generate 22,500 megawatts of electricity, making it the most productive hydroelectric dam in the world. In 2020 the hydroelectric plant produced 111.88 terawatt hours, setting a new world record for annual power generation volume. The dam also was intended to protect millions of people from the periodic flooding that plagues the Yangtze basin, although just how effective it has been in this regard has been debated. In 2020 China experienced its heaviest floods in more than three decades, and the dam’s reservoir neared maximum capacity, reaching the highest levels since it began retaining water in 2003. Officials said that the dam reduced damage and loss of life from the floods, while critics asserted that the heavy floods served to highlight the limitations of the dam as an effective flood-control tool.History and controversy of the Three Gorges Dam First discussed in the 1920s by Chinese Nationalist Party leaders, the idea for the Three Gorges Dam was given new impetus in 1953 when Chinese leader Mao Zedong ordered feasibility studies of a number of sites. Detailed planning for the project began in 1955. Its proponents insisted it would control disastrous flooding along the Yangtze, facilitate inland trade, and provide much-needed power for central China, but the dam was not without its detractors. Criticisms of the Three Gorges project began as soon as the plans were proposed and continued through its construction. Key problems included the danger of dam collapse, the displacement of some 1.3 million people (critics insisted the figure was actually 1.9 million) living in more than 1,500 cities, towns, and villages along the river, and the destruction of magnificent scenery and countless rare architectural and archaeological sites. There were also fears—some of which were borne out—that human and industrial waste from cities would pollute the reservoir and even that the huge amount of water impounded in the reservoir could trigger earthquakes and landslides. Some Chinese and foreign engineers argued that a number of smaller and far cheaper and less-problematic dams on the Yangtze tributaries could generate as much power as the Three Gorges Dam and control flooding equally well. Construction of those dams, they maintained, would enable the government to meet its main priorities without the risks. Because of these problems, work on the Three Gorges Dam was delayed for nearly 40 years as the Chinese government struggled to reach a decision to carry through with plans for the project. In 1992 Premier Li Peng, who had himself trained as an engineer, was finally able to persuade the National People’s Congress to ratify the decision to build the dam, though almost a third of its members abstained or voted against the project—an unprecedented sign of resistance from a normally acquiescent body. Pres. Jiang Zemin did not accompany Li to the official inauguration of the dam in 1994, and the World Bank refused to advance China funds to help with the project, citing major environmental and other concerns.Nevertheless, the Three Gorges project moved ahead. In 1993 work started on access roads and electricity to the site. Workers blocked and diverted the river in 1997, bringing to a close the first phase of construction. In 2003 the reservoir began to fill, the five-tier ship locks—which allowed vessels of up to 10,000 tons to navigate past the dam—were put into preliminary operation, and the first of the dam’s generators was connected to the grid, completing the second phase of construction. (Following completion of this second phase, some 1,200 sites of historical and archaeological importance that once lined the middle reaches of the Yangtze River vanished as floodwaters rose.) Construction of the main wall of the dam was completed in 2006. The remainder of the dam’s generators were operational by mid-2012, and a ship lift, which allowed vessels of up to 3,000 tons to bypass the five-tier ship locks and more quickly navigate past the dam, was completed in late 2015 and began officially operating in 2016.

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(Article 2)Three Gorges: A “Mega-Dam” and Its Impacts. Three Gorges: A “Mega-Dam” and Its Impacts

The Yangtze River is the longest river in Asia and is the world’s 3rd longest (only the Nile and Amazon are longer). It flows for ~6300 km from its headwaters on the Tibetan Plateau to its delta at Shanghai, where it discharges to the East China Sea. The Yangtze watershed encompasses approximately 1/5 of China’s land area. The river serves the water demand of millions of people and the delta alone supports almost 20% of China’s GDP. However, the Yangtze is also notorious for its frequent and devastating floods. Floods in the twentieth century alone led to the loss of an estimated 300,000 lives, including 145,000 drowning deaths in a 1931 flood, and 30,000 deaths in 1954 from flooding and diseases that followed. In addition to loss of life, these floods inundated hundreds of thousands of acres of productive farmland and caused billions of dollars of damage.

To protect over 15 million people in Shanghai and the lower Yangtze floodplains, and control flooding of almost 15,000 square km of land, construction of the Three Gorges Dam began in 1994. The dam, constructed at a cost of between ~$28-60 billion dollars (exact cost is not known because the project has been funded by a combination of government subsidy and private investment), is nearly 200 m high, spans more than 2 km across the river, and was engineered to withstand a magnitude 6.0 earthquake (Figure 11). The long, narrow Three Gorges Reservoir extends ~600 km upstream and has a capacity of almost 40 billion m3 of water (equivalent to about 32 million acre-feet) (Figure 12). At the time of construction, the dam was the largest hydroelectric power plant on Earth, with a generating capacity of over 20,000 megawatts - more than 20 times that of Hoover Dam, equivalent to 18 nuclear power plants, and enough to supply almost 10% of China’s power demand. According to the Chinese government, if this amount of electricity were generated using coal-fired power plants instead, 100 million tons of additional carbon dioxide would be released into the atmosphere. The dam also increases the navigability of the Yangtze, allowing large freighters to transport goods far into China’s interior.

Despite the obvious benefits of the dam for the economy and generation of renewable energy, the Three Gorges Dam has been mired in controversy since its inception. Concerns about the dam include an array of environmental impacts, the forced relocation of over a million residents, initiation of large landslides and earthquakes by the rising reservoir, and flooding of important historic and cultural sites in the gorge upstream of the dam. The chief environmental issues center on impacts to river ecology and already threatened species increased chances for waterborne diseases, and water quality degradation associated with the slowed flow of the river in the backwaters of the dam, in tributaries, and in downstream regions. Indeed, in the wake of pollution concerns, during construction, an additional $4.8 billion was budgeted for new treatment plants and garbage disposal sites along the river’s upstream reaches.

Thank you for sharing the second article about the Three Gorges Dam and its impacts. Please provide the third article, and then I’ll be ready to help with your questions or any analysis you need!

(Article 3, last article) The Three Gorges Dam, located in China on the Yangtze river, the third largest river in the world, was designed for several purposes. The main reasons why it was designed and constructed were to protect residents from flooding and to produce hydroelectric power in a clean and efficient way for an increasingly massive population. Being the largest concrete structure in the world, over 2 kilometers long and 181 meters tall, the Three Gorges Dam does fulfill its destined purposes but also has brought other social and environmental consequences along with it. Here are some of the pros and cons I’ve found from my research of the construction of the Three Gorges Dam:

Pros:
1. Energy Production: The Three Gorges Dam is the largest power station in the world and is so powerful that it can supply sufficient electricity to power up the entire country on its own. The energy it produces is equivalent to 18 nuclear power plants!
2. Renewable Energy: Because the dam harnesses the energy from the natural flow of running water, it reduces CO2 emissions by a substantial amount each year creating better air quality and a cleaner environment. The National Development and Reform Commission of China reports that the Three Gorges Dam reduces coal consumption by up to 31 million tons annually and reduces emissions by 150 million tons per year.
3. Flood Prevention: Before to the construction of the Three Gorges Dam, cities located near the Yangtze river were prone to flooding during rainy seasons resulting in catastrophic events. Over 300,000 people were killed, and millions of dollars lost in damage caused by floods within the century prior to the construction of the Three Gorges Dam.
4. Tourism: Since construction began, the astonishing site of the Three Gorges Dam has been attracting visitors from all over the world which has boosted economic conditions from tourism in the region greatly.
5. Increased Jobs: In order to accomplish this massive project, hundreds of residents have been hired to help construct and maintain this facility. In result, hundreds of jobs have been created to serve the unemployed.

Cons:
1. Migration: In order to make way for the construction of this dam, many local homes, farmlands, businesses and factories have been destroyed, resulting in thousands of displaced residents. To make things worse, due to widespread corruption and fraud within local governments, the money set aside for ordinary people failed to reach them — leaving many people homeless. Local governments have pocketed large amounts of money that was supposed to be used for the “Resident Relocation Fund.”
2. High Risk: Over 360 million people live within the water shed of the Yangtze river. If the dam were to break, due to heavy rains, terrorism, poor maintenance, or earthquakes, millions of lives would in severe danger.
3.Increased Seismic Activity: There has been a rapid increase of landslides in this area due to fact that the water in Three Gorge reservoir fluctuates between 145–175 meters each year which destabilizes the slopes of the Yangtze valleys. Because of the increasing added weight from the reservoir, large amounts of pressure on the ground causes stress on the tectonic plate boundary resulting in many earthquakes. This rapid increase of landslides and earthquakes threatens the dam and has destroyed several homes in the valley.
4. Sewage Problem: 265 billion gallons of raw sewage is dumped into the Yangtze river annually. Because the Three Gorges Dam has slowed down river flow, tremendous amounts of waste, sewage and toxic materials build up in the reservoir threatening marine life and other life that depends on the river’s nutrients. Prior to the construction of 5. Lost History: Because of increased water levels, due to increased sediment build up at the bottom of the reservoir near the dam, 13 cities, 140 towns, over 1300 villages, 1500 factories, nearly 100,000 acres of farmland, and 1074 heritage and historical sites have been submerged in the water and are lost forever. Over 2 million people have been displaced and relocated in this painful process.

Thank you for providing all three articles about the Three Gorges Dam. Now, please let me know what questions you have or what specific information you would like me to address regarding this topic!

How has the construction of the Three Gorges Dam been beneficial and harmful?

list pros
list cons

(write these answer separately. original and like a 9th grader wrote it)

### Pros of the Three Gorges Dam

1. **Energy Production**: The Three Gorges Dam is the largest hydroelectric power station in the world. It generates enough electricity to power millions of homes, equivalent to about 18 nuclear power plants!

2. **Renewable Energy Source**: Since the dam harnesses the natural flow of the Yangtze River, it produces clean energy. This helps reduce air pollution by cutting down on coal consumption, lowering carbon dioxide emissions by around 150 million tons each year.

3. **Flood Prevention**: The dam was built to control flooding along the Yangtze River, protecting millions of people. Before the dam, devastating floods had killed over 300,000 people in the 20th century alone.

4. **Improved Navigation**: The dam significantly enhances shipping abilities on the Yangtze River, allowing larger boats to travel further inland, which boosts trade and commerce.

5. **Job Creation**: The construction of the dam created thousands of jobs for local workers, helping improve the economy in the area.

6. **Tourism Boost**: The dam has become a significant tourist attraction, drawing visitors from all over the world and helping the local economy grow.

### Cons of the Three Gorges Dam

1. **Displacement of People**: The construction of the dam caused the displacement of over 1.3 million residents, leading to a loss of homes, farmland, and businesses. Many people were poorly compensated or not compensated at all.

2. **Environmental Concerns**: The dam has led to rising pollution levels and the degradation of water quality in the Yangtze River. With slowed water flow, waste builds up in the reservoir, threatening fish and other wildlife.

3. **Increased Seismic Activity**: The added weight of the dam's reservoir has been linked to an increase in landslides and earthquakes in the region, which can be dangerous for the local population.

4. **Loss of Historical Sites**: The rising water levels due to the dam have submerged historical sites, towns, and cultural heritage, including ancient towns and over 1,000 important archaeological sites.

5. **Potential Risk of Collapse**: With over 360 million people living nearby, if the dam were to break due to a natural disaster or poor maintenance, it could lead to catastrophic loss of life and property.

6. **Economic Inequality**: Corruption in the local governments has meant that the funds meant to help displaced residents often did not reach those in need, leaving many families without support after losing their homes.

take a clear and detailed stance, describing whether the building of the Three Gorges Dam was more harmful or beneficial

(original and like a 9th grader wrote it)

In my opinion, while the construction of the Three Gorges Dam has brought some significant benefits, it has ultimately been more harmful to people and the environment.

First, let’s consider the benefits. The dam generates a massive amount of electricity, making it the largest hydroelectric power plant in the world. This renewable energy is crucial for China, especially as the country’s population continues to grow and demand for power increases. The dam also helps manage flooding along the Yangtze River, protecting millions of residents from potential disasters. Furthermore, it enhances shipping capacity, which benefits trade and the economy.

However, these benefits come at a high cost. Over 1.3 million people (and some estimates say even more) were displaced when the dam was built. Many of these people lost their homes, farmland, and businesses, and some didn’t receive proper compensation. This displacement created significant hardship for individuals and families, leading to a loss of culture and community. The harm to the local environment is another enormous concern. The dam has increased water pollution and affected the natural ecosystem of the river, harming fish and other wildlife.

Additionally, the risk of natural disasters due to increased seismic activity poses a serious threat to the millions of people who live near the dam. If the dam were to fail, it could lead to devastating consequences, including loss of life on a massive scale.

In conclusion, even though the Three Gorges Dam has achieved some important goals, such as producing clean energy and controlling floods, the harm it has caused to individuals, the environment, and the potential danger posed by the dam itself outweigh these benefits. The negative impacts on people's lives and the ecological balance of the Yangtze River make me believe that the building of the Three Gorges Dam was more harmful than beneficial. The needs of future generations and the preservation of the environment should be prioritized over large engineering projects like this one.