Metro Manila, Philippines — After the Philippines, it’s Vietnam’s turn to file a claim before the United Nations for an extended continental shelf (ECS) in the South China Sea.
The Vietnam Foreign Ministry said that under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), it is “entitled to a continental shelf extending beyond 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured.”
This is not the first time Hanoi is making such a submission. In 2009, Vietnam filed a submission in respect to the north area of the South China Sea or Vietnam’s East Sea and a joint submission with Malaysia in respect to the southern part of the area in 2009.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Viet Nam.
Vietnam also asserted its sovereignty over the Spratly Islands.
“Viet Nam reaffirms its sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands and Truong Sa (Spratly) Islands under international law, and the rights over its maritime zones in the East Sea established in accordance with UNCLOS,” the ministry said.
In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs said that the Philippines affirms its claim to its extended continental shelf in the Western Palawan Region saying it is consistent with its maritime entitlements under UNCLOS, as demonstrated by the ECS submission on June 15, 2024.
“Nevertheless, we acknowledge Viet Nam’s right, as a coastal State like the Philippines, to submit information to establish the outer limits of their continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles from the relevant and lawful baselines from which its territorial sea is measured, as provided for under UNCLOS,” the DFA said.
Manila said it is ready to engage with Vietnam on ways forward to help achieve a mutually beneficial solution to South China Sea issues in line with international law.
Continental shelf or extended continental shelf
Under Article 76 of UNCLOS, “the continental shelf of a coastal State comprises the seabed and subsoil of the submarine areas that extend beyond its territorial sea throughout the natural prolongation of its land territory to the outer edge of the continental margin, or to a distance of 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured where the outer edge of the continental margin does not extend up to that distance”.
Article 76 further states that “… the coastal State shall establish the outer edge wherever the margin extends beyond 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured….”
The continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles is what is now commonly referred to as the “extended continental shelf” or ECS.
