also: みなみしなかい
noun
South China Sea
Proper noun referring to the marginal sea south of China. The spelling 南シナ海 is standard in modern Japanese.
南シナ海は重要な航路です。
The South China Sea is an important sea route.
Historical kanji spelling using 支那; now largely replaced by 南シナ海 and may be considered dated or politically sensitive.
Compound of 南 (south) + シナ (China) + 海 (sea). The spelling 支那 is a historical Chinese-derived name for China, now largely replaced by シナ in this geographical name.