Philippines tells UN of plan to extend South China Sea continental shelf

The Department of Foreign Affairs said the country submitted information to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, registering entitlement to an extended continental shelf in the Western Palawan region in the disputed sea.

“Today, we secure our future by making a manifestation of our exclusive right to explore and exploit natural resources,” Assistant Secretary for Maritime and Ocean Affairs Marshall Louis Alferez said in a statement on Saturday.

The Philippines under President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has pushed back against China’s claims to the resource-rich sea while bolstering US defence ties. His government has signalled its determination to explore the waters for energy resources, emboldened by a 2016 legal victory rejecting Beijing’s claims.

China has, however, maintained its presence in the key waterway, leading to tense clashes with Philippine vessels.

Manila has accused the Chinese coastguard of “barbaric and inhumane behaviour” against Philippine vessels, and Marcos said last month called the new rules a “very worrisome” escalation.

China coastguard vessels have used water cannon against Philippine boats multiple times in the contested waters.

There have also been collisions that injured Filipino troops.

Philippine military chief General Romeo Brawner told reporters on Friday that authorities in Manila were “discussing a number of steps to be undertaken in order for us to protect our fishermen”.

Philippine fishermen were told “not to be afraid, but just to go ahead with their normal activities to fish there in our exclusive economic zone”, Brawner said.

15:04

Why is the Philippines aligning itself with the US after years of close China ties under Duterte

The Group of Seven bloc on Friday criticised what