Philippines files UN claim to extended continental shelf in South China Sea
- In Reports
- 10:14 PM, Jun 15, 2024
- Myind Staff
On Saturday, the Philippines submitted a claim to the United Nations for an extended continental shelf (ECS) in the South China Sea, an area where it has faced escalating maritime conflicts with China.
"Today we secure our future by making a manifestation of our exclusive right to explore and exploit natural resources in our ECS entitlement," Marshall Louis Alferez, foreign ministry assistant secretary for maritime and ocean affairs, said in a statement.
China lays claim to nearly the entire South China Sea, encompassing areas also claimed by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam. This strategic waterway, through which $3 trillion in trade passes each year, is thought to be abundant in oil and natural gas deposits, as well as fish stocks.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 found China's sweeping claims have no legal basis, a ruling Beijing rejects.
China's embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding Saturday's U.N. filing.
In its confrontations with Philippine government and fishing vessels, China's coastguard has intensified the use of water cannons, collisions, and ramming tactics. According to Manila, they have also employed a military-grade laser. An armada of Chinese fishing boats is regarded by the Philippines and its allies as a maritime militia.
The Philippines sought to register its entitlement to an extended continental shelf in the West Palawan Region facing the South China Sea.
The submission, approved by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, follows a thorough technical and scientific study of the continental shelf in the West Philippine Sea, according to the foreign ministry. This area of the South China Sea lies within the Philippines' 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone.
The Philippines stated that it was exercising its right under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea to define the outer limits of its continental shelf, including the seabed and subsoil of submarine areasextending up to 350 nautical miles. In 2012, the U.N. confirmed Benham Rise, located off the Philippines' east coast and not contested by China, as part of the Philippines' extended continental shelf.
Image source: Reuters
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