Several Southeast Asian nations have voiced their opposition to China's new national map, which depicts disputed regions in the South China Sea. The map has been rejected by India, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam, who all allege it breaches their territorial claims.
India on Tuesday protested China’s new "standard map" laying claim over Arunachal Pradesh and the Aksai Chin. India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said while reacting to the Chinese move, "Just making absurd claims does not make other people's territories yours."
On August 28, the map was released by China's Ministry of Natural Resources.
The Philippines, which has a protracted conflict with China over the South China Sea, declared that the map is "illegal and has no basis under international law."
Malaysia said that it does not recognise the map and referred to it as a "provocation." Additionally, the Malaysian government declared that it will write to China in protest of that country's claims in the South China Sea, which also includes Malaysia's marine territories. According to a statement from the Malaysian Foreign Ministry, the map has no legal effect in Malaysia.
The map "violates its sovereignty," according to Vietnam, and it also "violates international law." On Thursday, Pham Thu Hang, a spokesperson for the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated: "Vietnam strongly reiterates its consistent stance on the sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly), and resolutely rejects any maritime claims of China that are based on the 'nine-dash line' in the East Sea."
The map was also rejected by Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory and has stated that it is "not recognised by the international community." According to Jeff Liu, a spokesman for the foreign ministry, "Taiwan, the Republic of China, is a sovereign and independent country that is not subordinate to the People's Republic of China."
The map has been defended by China, which claims it is a "standard map" that is used for "internal purposes." The map has drawn a lot of criticism from regional nations, who see it as evidence of China's escalating assertiveness in the South China Sea. A major source of conflict in the area is the South China Sea issue.
The United States has vowed to protect its partners in the area and has criticised China's maritime claims. The conflict is expected to become much more complicated as a result of the new map, which may further exacerbate tensions between China and its neighbours. The People's Republic of China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, and Vietnam are among the nations and territories that have marine borders.
