China And The Surrounding Countries The Outer Continental Shelf Application Case Studies

Outer continental shelf (OCS)is continental shelf that beyond 200nm ,and it is created by the legal system that established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea(UNCLOS). it is coastal State's land territory natural prolongation to the sea and more than 200nm from the baseline of the territorial sea , however,it shall not exceed 350nm from the baseline of the territorial sea ,or shall not exceed 100nm from the 2,500 metre isobate which is a line connecting the depth of 2,500 metres.Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf(CLCS) is an international organization founded on the basis of UNCLOS,which in charge of considering the OCS submissions by the coastal States and making recommendations.The limits of the shelf established by a coastal State on the basis of these recommendations shall be final and binding.According to the provisions of the UNCLOS and the Eighteenth Meeting of the UNCLOS States parties,coastal States must submit OCS submissions or preliminary informations to CLCS before May 13, 2009.This makes China's neighboring countries submit OCS applications to CLCS one by one,and china submited OCS preliminary information to CLCS in May 11,2009.This paper intends to study the background,motivations,and contents of the applications submitted,the objections of other countries,and the consideration by the CLCS.On this basis,I want to discuss how to deal with the challenges followed by the applications and how to safeguard China's maritime rights and interests.