Beijing urges UN commission not to consider Malaysian claim in South China Sea

Chinese permanent mission to the United Nations says neighbour has ‘seriously infringed on sovereignty, rights and jurisdiction’

Kuala Lumpur is seeking to establish the outer limits of its legal continental shelf beyond the 200 nautical mile limit

Reading Time:3 minutes

China’s permanent mission to the UN sent a diplomatic note to its secretary general Antonio Guterres saying Malaysia’s claim “seriously infringed” on its sovereignty. Photo: DPA

Published: 7:00am, 17 Dec 2019Updated: 7:00am, 17 Dec 2019

Beijing has accused Malaysia of infringing on its sovereignty after its Southeast Asian neighbour filed an extended shelf claim in the disputed South China Sea.

China’s permanent mission to the United Nations also urged the UN’s Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) not to consider Malaysia’s submission seeking to establish the outer limits of its legal continental margin beyond the 200 nautical mile limit.

“China has internal waters, territorial sea and a contiguous zone based on its Nanhai Zhudao [the South China Sea islands]; China has an exclusive economic zone and continental shelf. China has historic rights in the South China Sea,” the Chinese mission said in a diplomatic note to United Nations secretary general Antonio Guterres last week.

It said the submission by Malaysia, which was made on Thursday, had “seriously infringed on China’s sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in the South China Sea”.

“The Chinese government seriously requests that the commission not consider the submission by Malaysia,” the diplomatic note said.

The Chinese foreign ministry on Monday said Beijing had also lodged representations with Malaysia, saying it had infringed on China’s sovereignty and violated “international relations norms”.