Vietnam's continental shelf claim opposed

China on Thursday rejected Vietnam's unilateral move to extend its continental shelf in the South China Sea, saying that such an act violated China's sovereignty and maritime interests and would not help resolve disputes.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian made the protest after Vietnam on Wednesday officially submitted its dossier on the extended continental shelf boundary beyond 200 nautical miles in the South China Sea to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf.

Speaking at a daily news briefing, Lin said that Vietnam's claims in the case cover part of China's Nansha Islands, infringing upon the country's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.

Such a move violated international law including the UN Charter and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, Lin said.

It also went against an agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of sea-related issues signed in 2011 by China and Vietnam, and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea jointly signed by China and countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, he added.

At the Thursday news briefing, Lin also stressed that according to relevant rules of procedure of the CLCS, namely a submission will not be considered while a dispute exists, and the CLCS will not examine or qualify relevant submissions of Vietnam and the Philippines on delimitation.

China will remain committed to properly handling disputes in the South China Sea through dialogue and consultation with relevant parties, he added.

zhaojia@chinadaily.com.cn

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