Governments in the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Taiwan united on Thursday to reject China’s new national map. They issued strong statements accusing Beijing of making unwarranted territorial claims. China had recently released an updated national map to rectify what it called “problematic maps” that misrepresented its borders.
India, on Tuesday, lodged a forceful protest against China’s “standard map” that asserted control over Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin. India emphasized that such actions further complicate the ongoing boundary dispute and refuted China’s claims as baseless.
The External Affairs Ministry of India dismissed China’s assertions, emphasizing that groundless claims cannot establish ownership over other nations’ territories. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar criticized China’s move, highlighting the illogical nature of the claims.
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The Philippine government condemned China’s 2023 version of its “standard map” for continuing to include Philippine features in the West Philippine Sea. China’s contentious map, unveiled on August 28, featured an expanded ten-dash line illustrating its boundaries in the South China Sea.
The Philippines dismissed China’s bid to legitimize sovereignty over its features and maritime zones, citing a lack of international legal basis, notably the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The 2016 Arbitral Award had previously invalidated China’s nine-dash line claim, prompting the Philippines to call on China to uphold UNCLOS obligations.
In a previous incident in 2013, the Philippines had protested against a Chinese national map that incorporated parts of the Kalayaan Island Group into China’s territory.
On Thursday, the Malaysian government announced its intention to send a formal protest to China regarding its claims in the South China Sea, as depicted in the “China Standard Map Edition 2023.” Malaysia firmly reiterated its non-recognition of China’s claims within its maritime boundaries.
Vietnam also condemned China’s new map, reasserting its sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly Islands. Vietnam firmly rejected any maritime claims based on China’s “nine-dash line” in the East Sea, asserting that these claims violated its sovereignty and rights as outlined in the 1982 UNCLOS.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs firmly rejected China’s new “standard map,” underscoring Taiwan’s sovereignty as an independent nation. Taiwan emphasized that it has never been under the rule of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), a universally accepted fact.
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China’s Foreign Ministry maintained its position on the South China Sea, defending the routine publication of standard maps. China urged all concerned parties to approach the matter objectively and rationally, despite protests from countries such as India, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Taiwan.
