US views China map claims over South China Sea, disputed Indian areas as ‘unlawful’: State Department

The US State Department has criticised China’s new map asserting possession over nearly the entire South China Sea, adding its voice to a chorus of nations rejecting Beijing’s territorial and maritime claims in the highly disputed waters.

The “standard map” posted last week on China’s Ministry of Natural Resources website showed a U-shaped line aligning with Beijing’s long-held claims over the South China Sea, a vital maritime corridor enabling trillions of dollars annually in global trade.

The contentious demarcation overlaps with the exclusive economic zones of several countries in Southeast Asia including Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines.

Beyond the South China Sea, the recently unveiled map depicts Arunachal Pradesh and the Doklam Plateau – areas that India claims – within China’s borders. It also includes Aksai Chin, part of the Kashmir region controlled by China but claimed by India.

The US State Department on Tuesday slammed Beijing’s geographical assertions.

The claims were not only “unlawful” but also inconsistent with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, said State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel, echoing the sentiments of other countries opposing China’s maritime claims.

“We reject the unlawful maritime claims reflected on that map and call on the PRC to comport its maritime claims in the South China Sea and elsewhere with the International Law of the Sea,” Patel said.

At a separate briefing on Tuesday, Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder also addressed concerns about Beijing’s map.

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“I think it’s a continuation of what we’ve seen from China in terms of obfuscation of international sovereignty,” Ryder said.

Beijing was trying to “create “a new normal” by unilaterally redrawing territorial boundaries and expecting other nations to follow suit, he added.

Ryder said it was important for the US to work with its regional allies and partners, helping them defend their sovereignty while maintaining the international rules-based order that “has preserved regional security and stability for 70-plus years”.

The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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New Delhi last week lodged its strong protest with Beijing over the map. Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar Subrahmanyam on Thursday said “making absurd claims on India’s territory does not make it China’s territory.”

The Philippines’ foreign ministry also dismissed China’s latest claim to sovereignty and jurisdiction over areas that Manila considers its maritime zones. It said Beijing’s claim had “no basis under international law.”

Meanwhile, Malaysia’s foreign ministry said the new map carried no legal weight and described the South China Sea issue as “complex and sensitive”.

South China Morning Post