CMSI Archive Translation: The Provisional Constitution of Seapower: China’s Participation in UNCLOS Negotiations from Beginning to End

Authors

Shan Xu

Abstract

This report covers China's involvement in the nine-year UNCLOS III negotiations, which was China’s first important international multilateral negotiation after regaining its UN seat. Key outcomes included the establishment of 200nm EEZs, which China had strongly supported but later realized posed a dilemma regarding resource sharing in semi-enclosed seas like the East China Sea and Yellow Sea. The article notes that the resulting vagueness in UNCLOS wording allows parties to interpret articles beneficially. China maintained its declaration that foreign naval vessels require prior permission for innocent passage through territorial waters, and it has consistently refused to accept the jurisdiction of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.

Recommended Citation

Shan Xu (2026) "CMSI Archive Translation: The Provisional Constitution of Seapower: China’s Participation in UNCLOS Negotiations from Beginning to End," CMSI Quarterly Review: Vol. 1: No. 3, Article 6.
Available at: https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/cmsi-quarterly-review/vol1/iss3/6