Maritime Claims in the China Seas: Current State Practices

This Article comments on the maritime practices of coastal states in East Asia with reference to their territorial, contiguous and economic jurisdictions. The author suggests that there are few other regions of the world where coastal State's claims to maritime jurisdiction are so varied, and that the geographical and political circumstances in the region are so complex that only a dozen countries share a cross-section of all issues before the current UN Law of the Sea Conference. The author presents an examination of the current and potential bilateral and multilateral problems faced by China, North and South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and the Philippines, and how the Convention of the Law of the Sea will affect these problems.