Malaysia has rejected China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea in a rare public rebuke of its largest trading partner.
The government two weeks ago made a submission to the UN on its rights over the remaining portion of a continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles (370km) from the country’s baselines, Malaysian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hishammuddin Hussein told parliament yesterday.
It was in response to a similar claim China made to the UN on Dec. 12 last year, he said.
“Malaysia opposes China’s claim that they have historic rights over those waters,” Hishammuddin said. “The Malaysian government also considers China’s claims over maritime features in the South China Sea to have no basis whatsoever under international law.”
The rebuke is an unusual move for Malaysia, which had previously avoided reproaching China openly by reiterating its focus on ensuring the area remains open for trade.
Its submission to the UN comes on the heels of Australia and the US rejecting China’s maritime claims in response to what the two allies see as an intensifying campaign to dominate the resource-rich area.
China has built bases and other outposts on shoals, reefs and rock outcroppings to deepen its claim more than 80 percent of the 3.63 million square kilometers waterway, with Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia claiming parts of the same area.
Malaysia will remain cautious in defending its claim to avoid escalating tensions, Hishammuddin said.
It will keep working toward a resolution within the ASEAN, which is holding discussions with China for a Code of Conduct for the area, even as talks have stalled due to the pandemic, he added.
“If we follow the narratives and pressure of superpowers, there’s a high potential for ASEAN countries to lean toward certain countries,” he said.
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