China and Russia challenge US claims to the seabed – Media.

Representatives of China and Russia have expressed their views regarding the US claims to a vast marine area and potential resources that may be there. They argue that these claims have no basis in international law and should be rejected. These comments were voiced during debates at a session of the International Seabed Authority, responding to US statements on expanding its continental shelf in certain regions.

Countries that have ratified the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea are engaged in a long international process to agree on the boundaries of underwater continental shelves. This is important because economic rights to seabed resources are based on these boundaries.

The US has not ratified the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and their claims undermine the fragile international balance as well as the integrity of the Convention, said a Russian representative.

According to the Chinese delegate, the US does not have the right to make unilateral claims and cannot expect to gain the benefits of the Convention without ratifying it.

The US representative claims that Washington adheres to the rules of the convention. Russia and China are also increasingly aligning on international policy issues, including the Arctic.