BEIJING — A look at recent developments in the South China Sea, where China is pitted against smaller neighbors in multiple territorial disputes over islands, coral reefs and lagoons. The waters are a major shipping route for global commerce and are rich in fish and possible oil and gas reserves.
US REJECTS CHINA MARITIME CLAIMS
The U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations has fired back at Chinese territorial claims in the South China Sea.
Ambassador Kelly Craft’s note weighs in on Malaysia’s behalf in its bid to reject China-imposed limits on its continental shelf allowing it rights to resources.
“The United States rejects these maritime claims as inconsistent with international law as reflected in the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention,” Craft’s note said.
China in December issued a rejection of Malaysia’s petition to extend its continental shelf. Beijing ignored a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague that invalidated most of China’s claims to virtually the entire South China Sea.