China has issued a legal warning to Japan and the Philippines over their planned maritime boundary negotiations, describing the move as “internationally wrongful” and insisting it reserves the right to hold both countries accountable under international law.
The warning, issued on Thursday by the China Institute for Marine Affairs under the Ministry of Natural Resources, follows Tokyo and Manila’s agreement in May to begin formal negotiations on delimiting the maritime boundary of their exclusive economic zones (EEZs) and continental shelves.
In a legal opinion, China argued that the planned talks were conducted without consultation with Beijing and failed to take into account what it described as the region’s unique geographical circumstances.
“The announcement, undertaken without consultation with China and in disregard of the region’s specific geographical circumstances, violates international law,” the institute stated.
It further argued that the negotiations violated the principles of sovereign equality, cooperation, self-restraint and good faith.
“China, as the state whose rights and interests have been injured, is entitled to invoke the responsibility of Japan and the Philippines for their internationally wrongful acts,” the statement added.
Although Japan and the Philippines do not share a land border, both are entitled under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to claim exclusive economic zones extending up to 200 nautical miles from their coastlines. China maintains that the proposed maritime boundary overlaps with areas it claims.
Beijing also argued that parts of the proposed delimitation could overlap with the exclusive economic zone around Taiwan, which China regards as part of its territory under the one-China principle.
Another longstanding dispute involves Okinotori, Japan’s southernmost atoll. While Tokyo maintains that Okinotori qualifies as an island entitled to an exclusive economic zone under UNCLOS, China and South Korea argue that it does not meet the convention’s legal definition of an island.
China urged both governments to halt the bilateral negotiations and instead engage directly with Beijing. It also cautioned other countries against supporting the process, warning them to consider the legal and political implications.
Japan and the Philippines had earlier stated that the planned maritime boundary negotiations would be conducted in accordance with international law and UNCLOS, with the aim of strengthening legal certainty and regional stability. However, neither country disclosed the exact geographical scope of the proposed delimitation.
The latest protest follows China’s earlier condemnation of the negotiations in May, when Beijing described the initiative as “illegal and invalid” and deployed a flotilla, including one of its largest coast guard vessels, to waters east of Taiwan in what it described as a law enforcement patrol.
