US joins 'lawfare' by diplomatic notes over Chinese claims in S. China Sea

The recent US intervention in the battle of notes verbale is a clear signal that the dispute over the legality of China's claims is not going to go away any time soon

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On Dec 12 last year, Malaysia made a separate submission to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS), claiming sovereign rights and jurisdiction to the natural resources of the seabed and subsoil in an area beyond the 200 nautical mile (370km) limit of its exclusive economic zone in the southern part of the South China Sea.

Its submission was in accordance with the rules established by the CLCS, a body set up under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos).

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on June 10, 2020, with the headline US joins 'lawfare' by diplomatic notes over Chinese claims in S. China Sea. Subscribe