The US State Department expressed its support for the Maritime Zones Act which was signed last Friday by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.

In a statement released last Friday, US State Department spokesperson Mathew Miller said the law “is a routine matter and further clarifies Philippine maritime law.”

“The United States values Philippine leadership in upholding international law, particularly in the South China Sea, and calls on all states to comport their maritime claims to the international law of the sea as reflected in the Convention,” Miller said.

Hours after Marcos signed the bill into law, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning said that they have summoned the Philippine Ambassador to China to “make serious protests”.

She said that the law “aims to further solidify the illegal arbitral award on the South China Sea in the form of domestic legislation.”

“This move severely violates China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea. We strongly condemn and firmly oppose it,” she added

She said that through the Maritime Zones Act, the Philippines seeks to justify its “illegal claims and actions in the South China Sea” by implementing the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

“This so-called legislation seriously violates the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and will make the situation in the South China Sea more complex,” Mao said.

“China urges the Philippines to earnestly respect China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, immediately end any unilateral move that may escalate the dispute and complicate the situation, and keep the South China Sea peaceful and stable. China reserves the right of taking all measures necessary,” she added.

In an interview with dzBB on Sunday, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez said under the incoming Trump administration, America would continue to support the free navigation of the South China Sea and would not allow one nation to have control over it.

“At the end of the day, it is still about the economy because trillions of dollars pass through that. If one country has control over that, there will be an economic dislocation. The Asian region is one of the most important regions right now, as far as economic supply chains (are concerned),” he added. Jaspearl Tan/DMS