Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia join India in rejecting China's latest map

A map released by China that shows its sovereignty claims, including those in the South China Sea, has been dismissed as unfounded by the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Beijing stated on Thursday that the image should be assessed logically and objectively.

A chart depicting China’s famed U-shaped line, which makes up almost 90% of the South China Sea and is the subject of numerous disagreements in one of the most contentious waterways in the world and through which more than $3 trillion in trade passes annually, was made public on Monday.

On Thursday, the Philippines urged China “to act responsibly and abide by its obligations” under international law and an arbitral decision from 2016 that had ruled the line lacked legal justification.

Malaysia declared that it has lodged a diplomatic objection over the map.

According to China, the line is based on ancient Chinese maps. It was unclear right away whether the most recent map indicated any fresh claims to land.

China’s U-shaped line passes into the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia and extends as far as 1,500 km (932 miles) south of its Hainan island.

“This latest attempt to legitimise China’s purported sovereignty and jurisdiction over Philippine features and maritime zones has no basis under international law,” the Philippine Foreign Ministry said.

Its Malaysian counterpart stated in a statement that Malaysia “also views the South China Sea as a complex and sensitive matter” and that the new map has no legal force on Malaysia.

The map was distinct from a more condensed rendition of the South China Sea that China had presented to the UN in 2009 and which contained their infamous ‘nine-dash line’.

The most recent version, which covered a larger geographic region and resembled a 1948 map of China, contained a line with ten dashes that included Taiwan, which is democratically ruled. 2013 saw the release of a map featuring a tenth dash in China.

Jeff Liu, a spokesman for the Taiwan Foreign Ministry, responded that Taiwan was “absolutely not a part of the People’s Republic of China” when asked about the most recent map.

“No matter how the Chinese government twists its position on Taiwan’s sovereignty, it cannot change the objective fact of our country’s existence,” he told a press briefing.

China is currently having a “national map awareness publicity week”, state broadcaster China Central Television reported on Tuesday.

When asked why Beijing had been clear about its borders, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin responded that the most recent map featured 10 dashes whereas the earlier one had nine.

“China’s position on the South China Sea issue has always been clear. The competent authorities of China regularly update and release various types of standard maps every year,” he told a regular briefing.

“We hope that relevant parties can view this in an objective and rational manner.”

India slams China map

The latest irritation in tense relations between the Asian powers, India announced on Tuesday that it had raised a strong protest with China over a new map that stakes claim to Indian territory.

Vietnam’s foreign ministry claimed late on Thursday that China’s claims based on the map are invalid and in violation of both Vietnamese law and international law.

Speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pham Thu Hang stated that Vietnam “resolutely rejects any claims in the East Sea by China that are based on the dashed line,” alluding to the South China Sea.

(With agency inputs)