30-8-2023 (PUTRAJAYA) Malaysia has officially stated that it does not acknowledge China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea, particularly as outlined in the “China Standard Map Edition 2023.” This map, which includes areas claimed by Malaysia, holds no binding authority over Malaysia, according to a statement issued by Wisma Putra, Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry.
The map, among other things, displays China’s unilateral maritime claims that encroach upon Malaysia’s maritime areas in Sabah and Sarawak, based on the 1979 Malaysia New Map,” it said.
Malaysia has consistently rejected any foreign party’s claims to sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction over maritime features or maritime areas in accordance with the 1979 Malaysia New Map. This stance has been previously emphasized by the Malaysian government regarding the South China Sea issue and maritime boundary matters.
The South China Sea issue is viewed by Malaysia as a complex and sensitive matter that should be managed peacefully and rationally through dialogue and negotiations based on provisions of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982).
Malaysia remains committed to cooperating with all parties to comprehensively and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. Additionally, Malaysia is dedicated to substantive negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) with the aim of finalizing the COC as soon as possible.
Recently, the Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources released the “China Standard Map Edition 2023,” which also covers the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) maritime areas of Malaysia near Sabah and Sarawak, as well as those of Brunei, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, and several areas in India.
