MANILA: On Saturday ( Jun 15 ), the Philippines submitted a claim to an extended continental shelf (ECS) in the South China Sea, a waterway where it has engaged in increasingly contentious maritime disputes with China.
Marshall Louis Alferez, the unusual ministry’s assistant secretary for sea and sea politics, stated in a statement that” we immediately secure our potential by expressing our exclusive right to explore and exploit natural solutions in our ECS entitlement.”
China claims about the whole South China Sea, including pieces claimed by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam. Regions of the corporate canal, where US$ 3 trillion worth of business runs annually, are believed to be wealthy in oil and natural gas payments, as well as fish stocks.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 found China’s sweeping claims have no legal basis, a ruling Beijing rejects.
China’s embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday’s UN filing.