4-12-2024 (BEIJING) China has escalated its territorial assertions in the South China Sea by submitting detailed geographic coordinates and nautical charts for the Scarborough Shoal to the United Nations, a move that maritime experts suggest could face challenges from the incoming US administration.
The submission, presented by Chinese Deputy UN Representative Geng Shuang, establishes baseline measurements for the disputed territory, known as Huangyan Island in China and Panatag Shoal in the Philippines. This technical filing follows Beijing’s recent publication of coordinates for 16 base points around the feature, coming shortly after Manila’s enactment of new maritime legislation.
Maritime law experts emphasise that while the UN’s role is merely to receive and publish such declarations under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the submission does not constitute international recognition of China’s claims. The timing appears strategic, following the Philippines’ recent legislative moves to strengthen its own claims over the contested waters.
The disputed shoal, effectively controlled by China since a 2012 standoff with Philippine forces, has become a flashpoint in regional maritime tensions. China maintains a consistent coastguard presence in the area, which has witnessed several recent confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels.
Dr Bao Yinan, from the Huayang Centre for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance, notes that the coordinates filing helps define maritime rights around the shoal more precisely, though China has not explicitly stated whether it will claim an exclusive economic zone or continental shelf rights.
International legal experts have questioned China’s use of straight baselines for the shoal, arguing that the feature’s geographical characteristics don’t meet UNCLOS requirements for such measurements. The 2016 Hague tribunal ruling, which China rejected, classified Scarborough Shoal as a rock entitled only to territorial waters, not an exclusive economic zone.
Professor Zheng Zhihua of Shanghai Jiao Tong University suggests the filing will enable more precise enforcement of Chinese maritime laws, though he notes Beijing’s approach appears more restrained than anticipated, focusing solely on Scarborough Shoal rather than broader archipelagic claims.
The move comes amid heightened US-Philippine military cooperation, including a recent intelligence-sharing agreement and American deployment near disputed areas. Analysts suggest Washington might challenge China’s claims through freedom of navigation operations, potentially entering waters within the declared baselines to signal non-recognition of Beijing’s position.
