According to the United Nations law of the sea, a country controls the waters within 12 nautical miles of its coast.

根据联合国海洋法，一个国家对其海岸线12海里以内的海域拥有控制权。

It says China doesn't have law of the sea rights here and sailing nearby was an American way to challenge China's claims.

它说中国在这里没有海洋法权利，在附近航行是美国挑战中国主张的一种方式。

China rightly points out that, although the law of the sea sets rules about the waters and exclusive economic zones around islands, it says nothing about sovereignty over them.

中国准确指出，海洋法规定了领海及岛周专属经济区，但并没有指明主权属于他们。

You see under the terms of the United Nations convention on the law of the sea or unclose, any country may claim an Exclusive Economic Zone or EEZ of the water surrounding their sovereign coastline.

你看，根据联合国海洋法公约的条款，任何国家都可以对其主权海岸线周围的水域主张专属经济区。