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Arthur T Knackerbracket [soylentnews.org] writes:

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Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story [aljazeera.com]:

Foreign Minister Saifuddin says Malaysia's decision to take South China Sea claim to UN is its 'sovereign right'.

Malaysian Minister of Foreign Affairs Saifuddin Abdullah said late on Friday that Kuala Lumpur has the "sovereign right to claim whatever that is there that is within our waters".

"For China to claim that the whole of South China Sea belongs to China, I think that is ridiculous," Saifuddin said in response to an Al Jazeera question about Malaysia's decision last week to take its case to the United Nations [aljazeera.com].

"It is a claim that we have made, and we will defend our claim. But of course, having said that, anyone can challenge and dispute, which is not something unusual."

The move has angered China, which claims "historic rights" over all of South China Sea. It has also blamed the United States [aljazeera.com] for raising tensions in the area.

In response, the US Navy's Pacific Fleet commander, Admiral John Aquilino accused China of "bullying" its Southeast Asian neighbours. 

Malaysia and China are both signatories of the UN Convention for the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS [un.org]), which codifies the rights and responsibilities of independent states' use of the oceans.

Under the UNCLOS, coastal states like Malaysia are entitled to an EEZ. Beyond that is considered the high seas, common to all nations. UNCLOS also defines rules in case of overlapping EEZs.

It was on this basis that the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague rejected in 2016 China's claims [aljazeera.com] to the large swaths of water, which sees an estimated $3 trillion of trade pass each year.

China, however, rejects the ruling in The Hague, and since then has expanded its presence in the region, building artificial islands with runways and installing advanced missile system [aljazeera.com].

Beijing has insisted on the application of the "nine-dash line" demarcation, which states that neighbouring countries are only entitled to the seas and other resources nine miles from its shore.

Aside from the Philippines and Malaysia, China's claim is also being questioned by Vietnam [aljazeera.com]. Brunei and Taiwan have also staked its claim on parts of the South China Sea.

Asked whether Malaysia's latest diplomatic move would strengthen the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' (ASEAN) push for a unified "Code of Conduct" in the South China Sea, Foreign Minister Saifuddin replied, "It would be debated for sure."

It was unclear what prompted Malaysia to file a formal submission this month.

In September, Saifuddin also met with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi to set up a "bilateral consultation mechanism for maritime issues". The agreement was dubbed "a new platform for dialogue and cooperation".

In October, Saifuddin told members of Parliament that Malaysia should be "upgraded" in order to "better manage our waters should there be a conflict between major powers in the South China Sea."

For the last 10 years, China has been Malaysia's largest trading partner. In 2018, its trade was estimated to be at about $76.6bn, representing 16.7 percent of Malaysia's total trade, according to Malaysia's trade ministry.

Original Submission