China has declared sovereignty over the South China Sea. They also announced in their Law on the Territorial Sea that the South China Sea and four archipelagoes lying within it are their territory. They announced the baseline of part of the South Sea and the Paracel Islands in 1996. Since then, they have steadily increased the number of ships stationed there to demonstrate their determination to consolidate control over the region, as well as occupying several reefs in the South Sea. They occupied seven important spots in the Spratly Islands, and have begun developing the Paracel Islands, as well as adopting a policy of opening the islands to the public. China has taken a very aggressive attitude towards the South China Sea issue, not only in military means but also in the drawing of sea maps, development of reefs, scientific studies, petroleum and natural gas exploration, development of deep-sea fishing etc.