Philippines seeks UN confirmation of its vast continental seabed in the disputed South China Sea

By JIM GOMEZ
Associated Press

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippines has asked a United Nations body to formally recognize the extent of a vast undersea stretch of its continental seabed in the South China Sea, where it could exclusively exploit resources, the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila said. The Philippine move, which the department announced in a statement Saturday, will likely be opposed by China, which has expansive claims to the busy seaway. The Philippine government submitted information before the U.N. Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf on the extent of its undersea shelf in the South China Sea, off western Palawan province, after more than a decade and a half of scientific research, the foreign affairs department in Manila said Saturday.