Dwayne Pelagio

China reaffirms its territorial claims in the West Philippine Sea as it opposed the Philippines new maritime law on Nov. 10 and declared its “baselines” of their territory adjacent to Scarborough Shoal or Huangyan Dao.

Photos Courtesy of Ministry of Foreign Affairs - PRC/Philippine Star.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. officially signed the laws on Nov. 8, named R.A Republic Act No. 12064, or the Philippine Maritime Zones Act and Republic Act No. 12065, or the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act, established the country’s territorial borders, rejecting China’s territorial claims to the entire sea passage and imposing jail terms and stiff fines to violators.

“This is a natural step by the Chinese government to lawfully strengthen marine management and is consistent with international law and common practices,” China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said in a statement.


“This move severely violates China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea. 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,” the Ning added in her statement.

The Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson stresses that it firmly opposes the laws and it will continue to take all necessary measures in accordance with the law to resolutely defend the country’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.

“The move ‘seriously infringes’ on China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea,” Ning added in her statement.

The Philippine Maritime Zones Act outlines the country’s territory and its outlying waters where it has full sovereignty and rights under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) wherein it includes a 22.22-kilometer (12-nautical-mile) territorial sea, a 44.45-km (24-nautical-mile) contiguous zone from the baseline, a 370-km (200-nautical-mile) exclusive economic zone, and continental shelf.

The Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act sets the country’s archipelagic sea-lanes and air routes wherein foreign ships and aircraft would follow its regulation and comply with international law.

China opposed a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that its sweeping claims in the form of its “nine-dash line” were not supported by international law.

The country changed seven disputed reefs into what are now missile-protected island bases, including the Mischief Reef, which lies within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone.

Its coast guard, navy, air force and alleged militia fleets have used water cannons, military grade lasers and dangerous sea and air maneuvers to intimidate rival forces it accuses of straying into its claimed territory.