China dubs Philippines' new maritime laws as violation of its 'territorial sovereignty'

By Anadolu staff

ANKARA (AA) - The Philippines' latest bills targeted at the disputed South China Sea violate the Chinese territorial sovereignty, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.

"The so-called ‘Philippine Maritime Zones Act’ aims to further solidify the illegal arbitral award on the South China Sea in the form of domestic legislation and illegally include China’s Huangyan Dao and most of the islands and reefs of China’s Nansha Qundao, and their relevant waters into the Philippines’ maritime zones," local English daily Global Times quoted as a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson saying.

This move "severely violates China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests" in the South China Sea, the spokesperson added.

On Friday, the Philippines' President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed into law two new bills targeted at the disputed South China Sea, where Manila has tensions with Beijing.

"China firmly opposes it and will continue to do everything necessary in accordance with law to firmly defend its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests," it added.

Huangyan Dao has always been China’s territory in accordance with international law, the spokesperson stressed.

When asked about whether the release of the baselines and base points of the territorial sea adjacent to Huangyan Dao is a countermeasure against the Philippines’ Maritime Zones Act, the spokesperson said: "This is a natural step by the Chinese government to lawfully strengthen marine management and is consistent with international law and common practices."

Manila says the laws aim to reinforce Manila's entitlement and responsibility within its maritime zones which it refers to as the West Philippines Sea.

On Friday, the Foreign Ministry in Beijing summoned the Filipino ambassador to lodge "solemn representations" against the Philippine Maritime Zones Act and Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act.

The Philippines and China have overlapping claims in the warm waters of the resource-rich vast water body which Beijing claims almost all of it.