Advertisement
South China Sea
ChinaDiplomacy

Senior Chinese diplomat takes swipe at US over deep-sea mining strategy

‘The oceans are not calm,’ vice-minister warns in comments aimed at Trump executive order pushing American exploitation of seabed minerals

Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
1
An executive order signed by US President Donald Trump allows American private companies to pursue deep-sea mining in areas beyond US jurisdiction without prior approval from the United Nations. Photo: Xinhua
Fan Chen
Abiding by international law is the only path to peace and sustainable development at sea, China’s foreign vice-minister Hua Chunying said on Monday in a veiled swipe at the US over its unilateral exploitation of seabed minerals.

“The oceans are not calm. Certain countries have resorted to the unlawful use of force at sea under various pretexts, posing a serious threat to regional peace and security,” Hua said on Monday.

She was delivering opening remarks at a forum in Beijing focused on international ocean dispute resolution and international law.

Advertisement

“Some have unilaterally enacted and implemented ‘deep-sea mining regulations’, eroding the common heritage of humankind,” the vice-minister said, alluding to an executive order signed by US President Donald Trump in April.

Washington sees deep-sea mining as a strategic counter to China’s dominance in critical minerals, targeting vast reserves contained in potato-sized nodules on the seabed beyond the legal jurisdiction of individual countries.
Advertisement

By directing agencies to streamline exploration and mining permits, Trump’s order allows American private companies to pursue deep-sea mining in areas beyond US jurisdiction without prior approval from the United Nations.

Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x