How To Decode China’s Imperial Map —And Stop It From Becoming Reality

China has mapped out its imperial ambitions—literally. Last Monday, China’s Ministry of Natural Resources released its new “standard map,” which includes not only Taiwan, but also parts of the maritime zones of the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia. It also includes land that China disputes with India—and even some Russian territory. China’s map release is an annual event, which can happen at any time. Many commentators have speculated that the timing is surprising, given recent diplomatic events, including the G-20 Summit which begins this Saturday. However, China’s map release is part of a series of recent aggressions against its neighbors’ sovereignty and the rule of law in the region. China is signaling loudly that it will not back down on its expansive and revisionist claims, even as its neighbors improve their defenses.

China’s new map is notably broader than the official map that China submitted to the UN in 2009. Since at least 1947, China has claimed maritime features within a tongue-shaped “Nine-Dash Line” which traces the outlines of the South China Sea on China’s maps. This map adds a tenth dash around Taiwan, and encompasses parts of the Exclusive Economic Zones of the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Brunei. While the map is not fully clear regarding the Senkaku/Ryuku islands, which China and Japan dispute, the map may be meant to encompass those as well. China’s claims to land boundaries with India and Russia are also especially bold. The map includes the Indian state of Arunchal Pradesh, along the Line of Actual Control, a de facto border in the Himalayas over which India and China fought a war in 1962, and where conflict has erupted in recent years. The map also encompasses the Aksai Chin plateau in the Himalayas, which India claims but China controls. The map also includes the entirety of Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island, which Russia and China agreed to split in a 2005 agreement. While China’s maritime claims and its dispute with India are well known, the claim to Russian territory is new. China launched a “national map awareness publicity week,” as it has for map releases in recent years, to publicize its claims.