The issue of continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles relating to ridges is one of the most complex and contentious parts of UNCLOS Article 76. A coastal State may greatly extend, by invoking the ridge provisions, the outer limits of its extended continental shelf. Since the region of mid-oceanic ridges involves huge economic interests, it becomes a place that all coastal States want to claim in their scrambles for continental shelves. The coastal States’ intention to extend their continental shelves to the maximum extent by using the ridge provisions to their advantage would, necessarily, compromise the common interests of the humankind. Against this backdrop, we need to, for the purpose of protecting China’s maritime rights and interests, examine the typical submissions involving ridge provisions, and explore the principles for the application of ridge provisions.
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