15 Chinese warplanes enter Taiwan’s ADIZ in one day

On January 24th, Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone, following a similar incursion the previous day. The aircraft included bombers, fighter jets, and reconnaissance planes. Taiwan's military responded by scrambling jets and deploying missile systems. Concurrently, a US aircraft carrier group entered the South China Sea to assert freedom of navigation, highlighting the region's strategic importance due to overlapping territorial claims by several countries.

Which countries have overlapping claims in the South China Sea?

Why is the South China Sea considered strategically important?