India's top envoy to Manila echoed the Philippine government's criticisms of China’s new edition map that extended its territorial claims in neighboring states and placed nearly the entire South China Sea within its national boundaries, calling such move as “cartographic expansionism."
Indian Ambassador to the Philippines Shambu Kumaran said the map, which also drew protest from India after China included the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh and the Aksai Chin plateau as part of its territory, has no legal basis and will not be recognized by his country.
“Obviously, (we) reject this effort. I would express my solidarity with the sentiment in the Philippines with regard to such efforts at what I would call 'cartographic expansionism,'" Kumaran told a press briefing Friday.
Citing India’s Ministry of External Affairs statement, Kumaran called the map “absurd” and “does not correspond with the realities on the ground and with India’s claim.”
Malaysia and Vietnam also protested the “2023 standard map” of China, with Vietnam saying that this is a violation of its sovereignty and a violation of the international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
"The fact that China’s Ministry of Natural Resources has issued what’s called the '2023 standard map,' with the inclusion of Vietnam’s Paracel and Spratly islands as well as the dotted line, has violated Vietnam’s sovereignty over the islands, as well as its sovereignty, sovereignty rights and jurisdiction rights over Vietnam’s sea regions as determined by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)," spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang said in a press release.
In a statement from Malaysia, as cited by AFP, it said that "Malaysia does not recognize China's claims in the South China Sea, as outlined in the 'China Standard Map 2023 Edition' which covers Malaysia's maritime area”.
According to media reports, the map includes claims in the sea which overlap with Malaysia’s exclusive economic zone off the coast of Sabah and Sarawak on Borneo Island.
The Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs in a statement Thursday, said the map is Beijing's "latest attempt to legitimize China’s purported sovereignty and jurisdiction over the Philippine features and maritime zones has no basis under international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).”
“I think that's what's happening. As you will notice, all the countries are issuing very strong statements. And that indicates that is clear projection of this,” Kumaran confirmed.
Asked how India will interact with the Indo Pacific in light of China’s aggressive actions against the Philippines, particularly after the water-cannon incident involving the China Coast Guard against Philippine Coast guard vessels undergoing a resupply mission for soldiers stationed on the beached BRP Sierra Madre on the Ayungin Shoal, Kumaran said that India subscribes to the view that there has to be an adherence to a rules-based order.
“We do subscribe to the view that there has to be an adherence to a rules-based order that there cannot be coercion; that any disputes that exist should be solved peacefully through means of dialogue,” Kumaran said.
“And anything that deviates from this, I think unites all of us, especially like- minded countries, democracies such as India and the Philippines and our partners. I think we have also recently made very clear that we do hope that the 2016 Arbitral Award under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, that it is adhered to. So, our position on this is very clear. It is in solidarity and in sync with the approach of the Philippines," he added.
