Philippines opposes China naming features on its continental shelf

MANILA/BEIJING (Reuters) - The Philippines on Wednesday said it would oppose what it said were attempts by Beijing to formally assign Chinese names to undersea features on part of Manila's continental shelf on its Pacific Ocean coast. Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the issue would be raised with an international ocean mapping agency under the United Nations, which was responsible for assigning names on underwater features. "We object and do not recognize the Chinese names given to some undersea features in the Philippine Rise," Roque told a regular media briefing, The area, which the United Nations designated in 2012 as within the jurisdiction of the Philippines, is better known as Benham Rise.

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