Question: Recently, the Financial Times reported that delegations of countries, including that of China, attending an International Seabed Authority conference opposed the US unilateral claim to a swath of mineral-rich seabed because the US has not yet ratified the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and an American politician was quoted as saying that China was aggressively laying claim to seabed minerals. What is your comment?

Embassy Spokesperson: The delimitation rules of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles from the coast were set in the UNCLOS, not customary international law. The US is not a state party to UNCLOS and has no right to claim extended continental shelf based on the Convention, or review its extended continental shelf outer limits through the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf.

The US unilateral claim seriously violates international law, encroaches on the international seabed which is the common heritage of mankind, and undermines the overall interests of the international community. It is illegal, null and void and will not be recognised by the international community. It once again reveals the hegemonism and utilitarianism that define the mindset and behavior of the US and its selective approach to international law.

The FT report quoted one-sidedly US politicians and institutions’ irresponsible remarks about China, peddling “China threat” and stoking confrontation. We are firmly opposed to this.

As a state party to UNCLOS and a major developing maritime country, China has strictly fulfilled its obligations under the Convention over the years, actively carried out international maritime cooperation, committed itself to promoting the appropriate balance between the exploration of deep-sea mineral resources and environmental protection, and has done its best to support other developing countries in building their maritime capacity. 

Going forward, China stands ready to work with all parties to actively build a maritime community with a shared future through extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, and promote the common interests of all mankind.