South China Sea: Beijing urges UN not to consider Philippines' request to expand its continental shelf

China has formally urged a United Nations body not to consider a proposal by the Philippines to extend the legal outer limits of its continental shelf in the disputed South China Sea.

In a diplomatic note last week, China called on the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf not to consider the request, which seeks to confirm the outer limits of its legal continental margin beyond the limit of 200 nautical miles (370 km).

“(The Philippine claims) have seriously undermined China’s sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in the South China Sea,” the mission said in the note to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

“China has indisputable sovereignty over Nanhai Zhudao (the islands in the South China Sea) and adjacent waters, and enjoys sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the relevant waters as well as the seabed and its subsoil. .

“The Chinese government seriously requests the commission not to consider the Philippines’ proposal. »

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, but the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei all have competing claims to the waterway, a global shipping hub.

The conflict has escalated into frequent, and sometimes violent, clashes between China and the Philippines over the past year, raising fears of conflict.

In 2016, an international tribunal ruled in favor of the Philippines and said China’s claims in the South China Sea had no legal basis, a ruling Beijing refused to accept.

Earlier this month, the Philippines asked the UN commission to recognize that the outer limits of its continental margin extend beyond 200 nautical miles in the western region of Palawan, facing the China Sea southern.

According to the summary of Manila’s submission, made available last week, the proposed new boundaries cover the Palawan-Mindoro microcontinent.

He said this served as the basis for determining the “natural continuation of the landmasses of Palawan and Mindoro.”

Under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a coastal state can obtain exclusive rights to exploit the natural resources of its continental shelf, including mineral resources, fish stocks and oil reserves and gas.

The Philippines said its request may overlap with previous claims, including a joint request from Malaysia and Vietnam in 2009, but it was willing to discuss maritime boundaries with them.

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Maritime observers have suggested the move is unlikely to succeed because the commission – which is primarily a scientific and technical body – cannot consider contested claims without agreement from all parties involved.

It is for this reason that the commission postponed the 2009 joint proposal submitted by Vietnam and Malaysia.

China is so far the only country to oppose the Philippine claim through a diplomatic note.

In 2012, the Philippines successfully expanded its continental shelf off Philippine Hill on its northeastern coast without opposition.