India, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam step up opposition to China’s new map

ISTANBUL

Vietnam joined India, Malaysia and the Philippines on Thursday to reject a new map released by China.

Hanoi reiterated its "unwavering position" regarding sovereignty over Paracel (Hoang Sa) and Spratly (Truong Sa) islands and said it "resolutely rejects any maritime claims made by China that are based on the 'nine-dash line' in the East Sea," according to Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Pham Thu Hang.

"The issuance of the map as well as China’s 'nine-dash line' claim show a violation of Vietnam’s sovereignty," Vietnam Plus News quoted Pham as saying.

Beijing released on Monday what it called "China Standard Map Edition 2023," triggering reactions from its neighbors.

Malaysia said Thursday it will send a protest note to Beijing.

“This has been the practice (when dealing with issues like this) … the next step includes sending – a protest note,” said Malaysian Foreign Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir.

Malaysia said on Wednesday it does not recognize Beijing’s claims in the disputed South China Sea as outlined in the new Chinese map.

It said the map encompasses Malaysia’s maritime areas and the map “has no binding effect on Malaysia,” said the Southeast Asian nation's Foreign Ministry.

According to Kuala Lumpur, China’s new claims encroach upon Malaysia’s maritime areas in Sabah and Sarawak states, based on the 1979 Malaysia map.

“Malaysia views the South China Sea issue as a complex and sensitive issue,” it added.

Calling on China “to act responsibly,” the Philippines also rejected the new version of China’s map, as the Foreign Ministry cited “its inclusion of the nine-dashed line (now a 10-dashed line) that supposedly shows China’s boundaries in the South China Sea.”

It further said: “This latest attempt to legitimize China’s purported sovereignty and jurisdiction over Philippine features and maritime zones has no basis under international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.”

India says Beijing claiming ‘Indian territories is an old habit of China’

Earlier, India had lodged a protest with Beijing over the map which showed the whole of Arunachal Pradesh and the Aksai Chin region as part of China.

Arunachal Pradesh is a northeastern state of India, which China claims, while the Aksai Chin region is part of disputed Jammu and Kashmir and has remained under the control of Beijing for long.

New Delhi has said Beijing claiming “Indian territories is an old habit of China.”

In China, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin called on these nations to “view this map in an objective and rational manner.”

Wang stressed that China’s position on the South China Sea is “consistent and clear.”

“Updating and releasing various types of standard maps each year is a routine job for competent authorities in China, which aims to provide standard map services for all sectors of society and raise the public’s awareness of the standardized use of maps,” Beijing-based daily Global Times quoted him as saying.

Taiwan, which China claims as its “breakaway province,” also protested the new map.

The island nations’ Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jeff Liu told Taipei-based Taiwan News: “Taiwan, the Republic of China, is a sovereign and independent country that is not subordinate to the People’s Republic of China. The People’s Republic of China has never ruled Taiwan. These are universally recognized facts and the status quo in the international community.”

Taipei has insisted on its independence since 1949.