Beijing protests after Vietnam asks UN to extend South China Sea continental shelf

Hanoi’s request, which would give it right to exploit natural resources if approved, comes a month after a similar move by the Philippines

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China’s foreign ministry says Vietnam’s request to the UN “infringes upon China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights”. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 9:09pm, 18 Jul 2024Updated: 10:07pm, 18 Jul 2024

China has protested against Vietnam’s latest claim to an extended continental shelf in the disputed South China Sea following a similar request by the Philippines last month.

According to Vietnam’s foreign ministry, the country filed a submission on Thursday to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) to seek formal validation of the outer boundaries of its legal continental margin beyond the 200-nautical mile (370km) limit in a contested area of the South China Sea.

If its claim was recognised, Hanoi would gain exclusive rights to exploit natural resources on the extended continental shelf under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Vietnam’s submission came after the Philippines filed a similar request in June seeking to confirm the extent of its continental seabed in the western part of Palawan province in the South China Sea.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Thursday that Vietnam’s “unilaterally submitted claim” included maritime areas encompassing parts of the Spratly Islands and infringed upon China’s “territorial sovereignty and maritime rights”.

Beijing and Hanoi have competing claims in the Spratly Islands, known in China as the Nansha Islands.