After India, Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia protest China’s map

• Recently, The Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia released separate statements voicing their opposition to China’s new “standard map” for 2023
• They said the drawing of territorial lines, including in the 2023 Edition of the Standard Map of China, must be in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS 1982).

UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS 1982)

• Adopted in 1982, it is also called the Law of the Sea Convention
• It is an international agreement that establishes a legal framework for all marine and maritime activities.
• As of June 2016, 167 countries and the European Union are parties.
• It divides marine areas into five main zones namely
  • Internal Waters
  • Territorial Sea
  • Contiguous Zone
  • Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
  • The High Seas
• The United Nations General Assembly develop an international legally binding instrument under UNCLOS on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction
• While UNCLOS has been signed and ratified by nearly all the coastal countries in the South China Sea, its interpretation is still hotly disputed.

Prelims Takeaway

• South China Sea
• UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982