Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on approval of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

#[Status of Effect]=In Force #[Organ of Promulgation]=The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress #[Date of Promulgation]=19960515 #[Effective Date]=19960515 DECISION OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE NATIONAL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS ON APPROVAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE LAW OF THE SEA [Note]=(Adopted at the 19th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Eighth National People's Congress on May 15, 1996) Full Text The 19th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Eighth National People's Congress hereby decides to approve the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and meanwhile, makes the following statements: 1. According to the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the People's Republic of China shall have sovereignty and jurisdiction over its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf of 200 nautical miles. 2. The People's Republic of China shall, through consultation with its coastal neighboring or facing countries, on the basis of the international law and in accordance with the principle of equity, delimit a demarcation line between China's maritime jurisdiction and the maritime jurisdictions of China's coastal neighboring or facing countries. 3. The People's Republic of China reiterates its sovereignty over all archipelagoes and islands listed in Article 2 of the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Territorial Sea and the Continuous Zone which was promulgated on February 25, 1992. 4. The People's Republic of China affirms: provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea concerning the innocent passage through a country's territorial sea make no prejudice to the right of a coastal country to demand, in accordance with its laws or regulations, foreign ships of military purposes to obtain approval from the country or notify the country in advance for going through the country's territorial sea.