The gesture, however, comes after an international body confirmed Chinese names for features in the Philippines' maritime backyard. A NAMRIA map showing undersea region Benham Rise, which was recently renamed Philippine Rise. Composite image of the response of the International Hydrographic Organization's Sub-committee on Undersea Feature Names to the Philippines' request dated Feb. 28, 2018 to nullify Chinese names of five features in Benham Rise. The government sat on itEven before the granting of the Philippines' extended continental shelf within Benham Rise in 2012, government instruments already conducted a complete bathymetric survey of Benham Rise. Silver liningChina may have beaten the Philippines in christening five Benham Rise features but the complaint sent to the IHO yielded at least one seemingly inadvertent benefit.

Source: Philippine Star April 30, 2018 01:30 UTC