Govt to send protest note over maritime claims in China map

The government will send a protest note to China over the latter’s claims on the South China Sea as outlined in the "China Standard Map Edition 2023", which also covers Malaysia's maritime areas.

When met after the National Day 2023 celebration at Dataran Putrajaya yesterday, Foreign Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir said the move would be a follow-up step.

"This has been our practice (when dealing with issues like this)... and based on the statement issued by Wisma Putra yesterday, the next step includes sending a protest note," he said.

The foreign ministry said on Aug 30 that Malaysia did not recognise China’s claims in the South China Sea, as outlined in the "China Standard Map Edition 2023" which also encompasses Malaysia’s maritime areas.

The map holds no binding authority over Malaysia, it said in a statement.

On Monday, the Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources issued the map which covers the exclusive economic zone maritime areas of Malaysia near Sabah and Sarawak, Brunei, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam, as well as several areas in India.