Vietnam has filed a claim with the United Nations for an extended continental shelf (ECS) in the South China Sea, the foreign ministry announced on Thursday. This move comes a month after the Philippines made a similar submission.
The submission seeks to extend the continental shelf beyond the current 200 nautical miles, in line with the rights and obligations of state parties under the maritime framework, the foreign ministry stated. This marks Vietnam’s third ECS submission, following a previous claim for the northern area of the South China Sea (or Vietnam’s East Sea) and a joint submission with Malaysia for the southern area in 2009.
China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, overlapping with claims from the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam. The strategic waterway is crucial, with $3 trillion worth of trade passing through annually and is believed to be rich in oil, natural gas deposits, and fish stocks.
In conjunction with the ECS claim, Vietnam sent a note verbale to the UN Secretary-General outlining its position regarding the Philippines’ recent submission. The foreign ministry reiterated Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos in accordance with international law.
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