UNITED NATIONS - A Chinese envoy on Monday deposited to the United Nations (UN) the Statement on the Baselines of the Territorial Sea Adjacent to Huangyan Dao and the Chart, the Chinese Mission to the UN said in a press release.

Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, on behalf of the government of the People's Republic of China, deposited the Statement of the Government of the People's Republic of China on the Baselines of the Territorial Sea Adjacent to Huangyan Dao and the related Chart to Stephen D. Mathias, acting under-secretary-general for legal affairs of the United Nations and UN legal counsel.

The statement and the chart will be published on the UN website, said the release.

Huangyan Dao has always been China's territory, it said. On Nov 10, in accordance with international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone, the Chinese government delimited and announced the baselines of the territorial sea adjacent to Huangyan Dao, the press release said.

This is a natural step by the Chinese government to lawfully strengthen marine management and is consistent with international law and common practices, it added.

According to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the coastal state shall deposit a copy of the chart or list of geographical co-ordinates of its baselines of the territorial sea with the UN secretary-general.

The deposit is not only an international practice by China as a state party to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in fulfilling its obligations under the Convention, but also a legitimate activity to defend its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, the press release said.