The East China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean, located directly offshore from East China and covering roughly 1,249,000 square kilometres.
Bounded by the Korean Peninsula, mainland China, Kyushu, the Ryukyu Islands and Taiwan, the sea connects with the Yellow Sea to the north, the South China Sea through the Taiwan Strait to the southwest, and the Philippine Sea to the southeast via gaps between the Ryukyu Islands. Most of the East China Sea is shallow — nearly three-quarters lies at depths of less than 200 metres, with an average depth of 350 metres — though the Okinawa Trough reaches a maximum of 2,716 metres. China refers to the body of water as Dōng Hǎi (East Sea), while the International Hydrographic Organization formally designates it the East China Sea. The sea’s position at the intersection of major continental and island coastlines has made it a critical zone for maritime trade, fisheries and regional geopolitics in East Asia.
