Last Friday, the Philippines passed laws seeking to strengthen its claims and set up dedicated shipping lanes in the South China Sea, opening a new front in the ongoing maritime spat between Manila and Beijing.
The Philippine Maritime Zones Act “delineates” the country's various maritime zones, while the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act sets up designated “nautical highways” and air routes, aiming to “facilitate safe passage for foreign ships and aircraft,” according to Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
One Philippine senator instrumental to both laws said in a release that the legislation “will safeguard the integrity of our national territory.”
Competing claims
Beijing thought otherwise, arguing that the maritime zones act “illegally includes” the disputed Scarborough Shoal and other territory claimed by China. A release by Beijing’s foreign ministry said that China’s sovereignty, rights, and interests in the South China Sea “shall by no means be affected by the enactment of the [laws].”
In July, the two countries agreed to set up a presidential ‘hotline’ for defusing clashes in the South China Sea.
