exclusive economic zones

Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) are maritime areas extending up to 200 nautical miles from a coastal state's baseline, as defined by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Within these zones, coastal states have sovereign rights for exploring, exploiting, conserving, and managing natural resources, both living and non-living, of the seabed, subsoil, and superjacent waters. They also have jurisdiction over other activities like the production of energy from the water, currents, and winds, and the establishment of artificial islands and structures. Recent news highlights the geopolitical significance of EEZs, particularly in the Indo-Pacific. Tensions are rising as countries like Japan and the Philippines engage in negotiations to delimit their maritime boundaries, a move perceived by China as potentially restricting its naval access and challenging its regional ambitions. China's response, including increased patrol ship activity, underscores the strategic importance of these zones for resource control, trade routes, and military positioning, especially in the context of potential conflicts like that over Taiwan.