China Releases New Map, Claiming Neighbors’ Territory
China released a new edition of its “standard map” on August 28, which infuriated a number of its neighbors by claiming parts of their territory.
South China Sea: With China’s unlawful “nine-dash line,” the nation claims virtually all of the South China Sea as its own, including large parts of the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.
The Philippines has filed a formal complaint about the map with the Chinese Embassy in Manila. Vietnam, Malaysia and India have also expressed their dissatisfaction with China’s “standard map.”
The issuance of the map as well as China’s “nine-dash line” claim show a violation of Vietnam’s sovereignty. … Vietnam resolutely rejects any claims in the East Sea by China that are based on the dashed line.
—Pham Thu Hang, Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman
Malaysia does not recognize China’s claims in the South China Sea as outlined in the “2023 edition of the standard map of China” which extends into Malaysian maritime area.
—Malaysian Foreign Ministry
Taiwan, India and Russia: In the 2023 version of the map, China added a 10th dash on the east side of Taiwan, implying that Taiwan is part of its territory. The Chinese Communist Party has never ruled the island, and the Taiwanese government vehemently disagrees with this claim.
No matter how the Chinese government twists its position on Taiwan’s sovereignty, it cannot change the objective fact of our country’s existence.
—Jeff Liu, Taiwanese Foreign Ministry spokesman
The map also claims disputed areas of its border with India, around the regions of Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin, as its own. And even Russia was encroached upon, with the map marking Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island on the Russia-China border as Chinese territory, despite an agreement China signed with Russia 20 years ago.
The Trumpet says: China increasingly seeks to control more and more of the world, and is not afraid to anger other nations in the process. With Russia and India, we expect tensions over the map will likely blow over. But the Trumpet has said for decades that because of America’s weakness, Taiwan will ultimately be forced into the Chinese mold.
As China continues to tighten its grip on the South China Sea, it gains control over a network of vital shipping lanes through which one third of the world’s maritime trade passes. China’s increasing global dominance is steering the world toward war.
Learn more: Read “China Is Steering the World Toward War.”
