Malaysia has given a big thumbs down to the latest edition of China’s so-called ‘standard map’ that stakes their claim on the South China Sea. This includes areas right off the coast of Malaysian Borneo. This firm “no” comes at a time when the situation is heating up over this high-stakes waterway, with China not backing down on its claim.
Keep in mind that back in 2016, an international court ruled that China’s ‘nine-dash line’ claim had no solid footing. It was overridden by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The Malaysian government isn’t having any of it and is pushing for a swift agreement on a code of conduct. They’re stressing that this delicate and complex clash should be sorted out through chill, open conversations.
China’s Expansion Strategy.
China is assertively pushing its claims over parts of the South China Sea. They’re even building military outposts and sending out their coast guard. This has led to showdowns with other countries that also have their eyes on these waters, notably Malaysia and the Philippines. But, they’re not the only ones – Vietnam, Brunei, and Taiwan also want a piece of the sea.
Malaysia Fights Back.
Recently, China showed off a new map featuring a so-called ‘nine-dash line’ that goes right over Malaysian maritime areas. But Malaysia isn’t having it. They’ve hit back, saying they couldn’t care less about China’s map. As far as they’re concerned, it’s got no hold over them, and they’re certainly not declaring China’s claim as legit.
China’s debatable nine-dash line (a claim relying on some really old records from around 4,000 years back) has caused quite a stir in India. Basically, China released a new map and it showed regions like Indian’s Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin plateau as being part of China. This isn’t a new thing. Border arguments like these have been heating up the atmosphere for a long time, and it got even worse in 2020. But India isn’t taking this lying down. Its foreign ministry has denounced China’s stand, saying this move just makes the whole boundary issue more complicated.
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