On August 28, China published the 2023 version of their "standard map," which included Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh in India. China's claims in the South China Sea over nations like Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam's exclusive maritime zones are also depicted on the map.
Several countries, notably Indonesia, Vietnam, and Taiwan, have now voiced strong criticism of the Chinese standard map.
Retno Marsudi, the foreign minister of Indonesia, urged China to uphold international law in a statement over the recently released "Standard Map." She stated that the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea must be followed when drafting any territorial claims or borders.
The Philippines have similarly disapproved of the conventional map that places the ten-dashed line on their national territory. In a statement, the Philippine Foreign Ministry said, "This latest attempt to legitimize China’s purported sovereignty and jurisdiction over Philippine features and maritime zones has no basis under international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)."
Malaysia's foreign ministry also reported that a formal complaint had been made to China. The new map is not legally obligatory on Malaysia, according to the country's foreign minister, who also described the South China Sea as "a complex and sensitive matter."
Additionally, Taiwan's Foreign Ministry strongly opposed the idea that the island republic was an integral part of China. According to Jeff Liu, spokesman for the Taiwan Foreign Ministry, "Taiwan was absolutely not a part of the People's Republic of China".
Vietnam also protested regarding the map that its sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly Islands is violated by the map and the "nine-dash line" claims, according to the AP.
The claims made by China based on the map, according to the Vietnamese foreign ministry, are invalid and in violation of both national and international law.
(Banner Image: HT)
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