China warns Japan, Philippines over 'wrongful' maritime border talks

China has formally warned Japan and the Philippines that their planned negotiations to delimit maritime boundaries are 'internationally wrongful' and that Beijing reserves the right to hold both nations accountable. The warning came via a legal opinion from the Ministry of Natural Resources' China Institute for Marine Affairs, released on Thursday. It is the latest protest following the May agreement between Manila and Tokyo to launch formal talks on the delimitation of exclusive economic zones (EEZs) and continental shelf boundaries, which overlap with areas claimed by China in the South China Sea.

The legal opinion states that the bilateral announcement was made 'without consultation with China and in disregard of the region's specific geographical circumstances,' violating international law. It specifically cites harm to sovereign equality, the duties of cooperation and self-restraint, and the principle of good faith. China asserts that as the state whose rights and interests have been injured, it is entitled to invoke the responsibility of Japan and the Philippines. Japan and the Philippines share no land border, but as coastal states both are entitled to 200-nautical-mile EEZs from their shores, creating overlapping claims with China in the region.