The Philippines has submitted a claim to the United Nations for an extended continental shelf (ECS) in the South China Sea, an area where it has faced maritime disputes with China. The claim includes the West Palawan Region, which is part of the South China Sea within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone. The submission followed a scientific study of the continental shelf in the area. The Philippines is seeking to establish the outer limits of its continental shelf under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which covers the seabed and subsoil of submarine areas up to 350 nautical miles.