Japan expands continental shelf eastward for rare metals research

How did they move the continental shelf? Thats quite an achievement. Perhaps they should just call it the EEZ.

TaiwanIsNotChinaToday 05:01 pm JST

deanzaZZRToday 01:39 pm JST

colonial possession of the Northern Marianas.

They are also US citizens and the majority non-native, so would be pretty interesting how they would decolonize themselves.

deanzaZZRToday 01:39 pm JST

colonial possession of the Northern Marianas.

The Northern Marianas can leave the US commonwealth anytime they want. You know, the opposite situation that Taiwan has with China.

deanzaZZRToday 01:39 pm JST

The article needs to be more precise. Is Japan's crazy claim of an extended 1,000KMs from Tokyo as a baseline or Ogasaware Islands?

The USA cannot make claims on language of UNCLOS as it is not a signatory. EEZs only extend 200 miles from the colonial possession of the Northern Marianas.

I suggest you try and challenge it then and see what happens.

The article needs to be more precise. Is Japan's crazy claim of an extended 1,000KMs from Tokyo as a baseline or Ogasaware Islands?

The USA cannot make claims on language of UNCLOS as it is not a signatory. EEZs only extend 200 miles from the colonial possession of the Northern Marianas.

China has criticized Japan's move. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on June 27 that the expansion "contravenes the stipulations of U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea and universal practice."

But drawing nine dashes freehand on a map to claim territory IS universal practice and fully in line with UNCLOS? China cant be serious with its comical complaint against Japan.

This again shows the world China expects the world to do as China says, not as China does. Hypocracy in its most blunt form.

China should stop interfering in Japanese affairs. China is making it a habit to oppose Japans rights.

I would love to hear the logic here. The USA is not a party to UNCLOS. I'll just call BS.

...why would Japan seek/need approval from the USA.

Why? Because the U.S. is the only nation located in the direction of the area in question that could possibly have any counterclaims. It's not BS. It's common sense and standard practice (obviously not for the PRC) for establishing new claims like this.

That’s all you get. 12 miles off a livable island. Japan China etc really have no claims beyond the number.

The 200 nautical mile (nm) Economic Enforcement Zone ( EEZ ) allows nations to control the extraction of resources along their coasts and protects their industries that rely on those resources, including minerals, plants and animals. If you don't enforce your EEZ a foreign factory fishing fleet comes in and nets all the fish off your coast leaving your own local fishermen with nothing to catch and nothing to feed their families with. Do you want Chinese companies building oil rigs 12 nm off the coast of Japan? That would happen and be legal without an EEZ (and the will to enforce you rights in that EEZ). You might want to rethink your idea.

I would love to hear the logic here. The USA is not a party to UNCLOS. I'll just call BS.

The US has not signed UNCLOS for one reason. In the treaty there is a requirement for coastal states like the US to pay landlocked nations a royalty for revenues earned from undersea mining even if the US isn't involved in deep sea mining in international waters. It becomes an annual tax simply for having a coastline with the money going to landlocked states because there is this idea that whatever is on the ocean floor belongs to everybody so everybody should get a cut of what ever is mined from beneath the sea. The US objects to that one provision. If the provision were removed the US would sign the treaty.

GuruMickToday 07:31 am JST

I'm with deanza...why would Japan seek/need approval from the USA.

Unless...{fill in the blanks yourself }

Because even though the US is not an official member of UNCLOS, it is more in compliance with its provisions than the likes of China.

Just claim parts of the ocean are yours.

How convenient.

Oh, I see. So China does it and you don't complain.

How convenient!

Oh, I see.

Just claim parts of the ocean are yours.

How convenient.

Very aggressive act to try to swindle the area that belongs to no one. It’s the ocean. Honestly we need to go back to the 12 mile rule. That’s all you get. 12 miles off a livable island. Japan China etc really have no claims beyond the number.

I'm with deanza...why would Japan seek/need approval from the USA.

Unless...{fill in the blanks yourself }

I would love to hear the logic here. The USA is not a party to UNCLOS. I'll just call BS.

To have its continental shelf recognized beyond its exclusive economic zone, Japan needed the approval of an institution established under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea on the continuity of the seabed topography and agreement from relevant countries, which in this case was solely the United States.

By all means di before somebody starts claing the waters have been theirs since ancient times.

Did Japan get the approval of the required bodies and if not, was it due to the noncompliant PRC?