Philippines president signs 2 new laws targeted at disputed South China Sea

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

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

The laws aim to reinforce the Manila's entitlement and responsibility within its maritime zones which it refers to as the West Philippines Sea, a statement from the office of Marcos said.

It said the laws seek to designate the country’s archipelagic sea lanes, which would create routes through the country’s waters and airspace.

Philippine Maritime Zones Act and the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act are “significant laws that emphasize the importance of our maritime and archipelagic identity,” said Marcos.

Through the new laws, he added, the country had aligned its domestic laws with international law, specifically the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS.

Expressing hope that the laws would allow Manila to continue to defend its territory, Marcos said: “It is my fervent hope that with the help of these two laws, we will continue to pursue and defend our maritime interests.”

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.

Meanwhile, the China Coast Guard (CCG) Friday conducted a patrol “within” its territorial waters off the Diaoyu Islands.

The islets known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan are controlled by Tokyo.

The CCG said the patrol in vessel formation 1303 was carried out “according to law to protect rights, without providing further details.”