Vietnam has submitted a claim to the U.N. over an extended continental shelf in the central area of the South China Sea, a month after a similar move by the Philippines.
The Vietnamese foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, or UNCLOS, Vietnam had full “legal and scientific bases” to assert its entitlement to the stretch of seabed that extends beyond 200 nautical miles (370 km) from its shore, as well as to exclusive rights to explore and exploit the natural resources in the area.
The South China Sea is believed to be rich in marine resources and oil deposits.
On June 14, the Philippines filed its own submission for an extended continental shelf in the West Palawan region of the South China Sea, which could overlap with Vietnam’s and Malaysia’s claims.
Vietnam did not protest outright to the Philippine filing but instead said that while coastal states had the right to determine their outer continental shelf boundaries under UNCLOS, when submitting their claims “they must respect the legal and legitimate rights and interests of other relevant coastal nations with opposite or adjacent coasts.”
The Philippines afterwards said it was willing to hold talks with Vietnam to “achieve a mutually beneficial solution to South China Sea issues.”
The Philippines has yet to react to the news of Vietnam’s submission, which may open a new legal contest among coastal states.
China, which claims most of the South China Sea despite regional countries’ objections, rejected the Philippines’ extended continental shelf claim and is likely to reject Vietnam’s submission.
This is Vietnam’s third submission on an extended continental shelf in the South China Sea, which it calls the East Sea.
In May 2009, Vietnam filed a separate submission for the north area and a joint submission with Malaysia for the southern part of the South China Sea.
The Vietnamese foreign ministry said its latest submission was to ensure its “lawful rights to its extended continental shelf” in the central portion of the South China Sea, but it stood ready and committed to “resolve and manage all disputes and differences with relevant coastal states by peaceful means.”
