China to delimitate maritime boundary through peaceful negotiations: FM spokesman

Source: Xinhua | 05-12-2009 09:07

BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- China submitted "initial information on the outer limits of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles" to the United Nations Secretary General on Monday and would "delimitate maritime boundary through peaceful negotiations," a Foreign Ministry spokesman said here Monday.

Spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said that China's permanent mission to the UN had submitted the information to the Secretary General in line with relevant stipulations of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and decisions made at the convention's contracting states' meetings.

May 13, or Wednesday, is the deadline for coastal states concerned to submit the information.

Ma said the submitted document includes the outer limit of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles of some sea area of the East China Sea.

"China has indisputable sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction over South China Sea islands and their adjacent waters," Ma said in a press release.

China reserves its right to submit information on the outer limits of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles in other sea areas, he added.

"Chinese government will safeguard maritime rights and interests in line with consistent views and stand and will delimitate maritime boundary under the principle of fairness through peaceful negotiations with neighboring countries connected on the sea," he said.

Editor:Liu Anqi