China reaffirms its sovereignty over the South China Sea in response to Philippine boundary regulations
China opposes the Philippines' efforts to define its maritime entitlements in the South China Sea
China has reasserted its territorial claims around a disputed reef in the South China Sea after the Philippines defined its sea boundaries within the contested region.
On Friday, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed two laws to outline the country’s maritime entitlements and establish designated sea lanes and air routes to “reinforce sovereignty.” In response, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on Sunday that it “firmly opposes” the move and will continue taking “all necessary measures in accordance with the law” to protect its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights.
China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, overlapping areas claimed by the Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam. It has rejected a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, which found China’s broad claims unsupported by international law. The United States, an ally of the Philippines, supports the ruling, which Manila originally sought.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry defined a baseline of “territorial waters” around the Scarborough Shoal, a contested area that China calls Huangyan Island. This shoal has been a significant source of tension over sovereignty and fishing rights. China has also passed domestic laws, including a 2021 coastguard law that allows it to detain foreigners suspected of trespassing in the South China Sea.
Backed by a strong coastguard fleet, China frequently accuses other nations' vessels of trespassing in South China Sea areas falling within their exclusive economic zones. Over the past year, China and the Philippines have clashed repeatedly. On Sunday, China’s coastguard issued a statement accusing the Philippines of sending military and police ships and aircraft to “intrude” near the Scarborough Shoal, also alleging that Manila instigates “illegal fishing” in the area.
The two countries reported six confrontations at sea and in the air in August alone, adding to rising tensions. These disputes risk drawing in the United States, which has a mutual defense treaty with the Philippines and has pledged to assist Manila in case of armed attacks on Filipino forces, including coastguard personnel, aircraft, or public vessels in the South China Sea.
