US, China React To New Philippine Laws Charting Country's Maritime Zones
US, China React To New Philippine Laws Charting Country's Maritime Zones
The recent disputes between Beijing and Manila have sparked concern that the United States may get pulled into a war with China as America is a major strategic non-NATO ally to the Philippines.
PHILIPPINES/CHINA - After Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. signed the Philippine Maritime Zones Act and Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Acts enforcing the country's Maritime Zones in the Philippine and South China Sea, the United States welcomed the laws and called on all states to agree to the claims, while China has voiced opposition to the laws and declared its own "baselines" of territorial claims in the region.
As the Philippine President signed the bills into law on Friday he said, “These signal our resolve to protect our maritime resources, preserve our rich biodiversity, and ensure that our waters remain a source of life and livelihood for all Filipinos".
According to China's Foreign Ministry, it summoned the Philippine Ambassador to Beijing and lodged a "stern protest" and condemned the move as an attempt to “solidify the illegal ruling of the South China Sea arbitration case through domestic legislation.”
The new laws by the Philippine government follow numerous territorial incidents between Beijing and Manila in the Philippine and South China Seas sparking concern that the United States may get pulled into a conflict with China as America is a major strategic non-NATO ally to the Philippines.
While China lays claim to most of the territory located within the South China Sea, the country's 9-dash-line is not internationally recognized and overlaps the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) claims of multiple countries, including The Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.
The Philippine National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (Namria) has released a statement saying that they will soon be releasing an official map that will include the country's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) as well as the archipelagic waters of the Philippines, including the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that the move to enact these news laws by the Philippine government, "seriously infringes on China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea".
