Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning Photo: fmprc.gov.cn

The National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, on Friday expressed firm opposition to and strong condemnation of the Philippines' introduction of the so-called Philippine Maritime Zones Act.

The Foreign Affairs Committee of the NPC said in a statement that the act is an attempt by the Philippines to enforce the illegal arbitral award on the South China Sea issue in 2016 through its domestic legislation, and is a serious infringement upon China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, Xinhua reported.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has summoned the Philippine Ambassador to China to make serious protests, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry also issued a statement on Friday on the so-called Philippine Maritime Zones Act and Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act. It noted that the Philippine Maritime Zones Act is a serious infringement of China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, which China strongly condemns and firmly opposes.

The so-called Philippine Maritime Zones Act illegally includes China's Huangyan Dao and most of the islands and reefs of China's Nansha Qundao, and their relevant waters into the Philippines' maritime zones. The act also aims to further solidify the illegal arbitral award on the South China Sea in the form of domestic legislation.

Mao said China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea are solidly grounded in history and the law, comply with international law including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and will not be affected by the "Philippines Maritime Zones Act." The so-called arbitral award on the South China Sea is illegal, null and void. China does not accept or recognize it.

The statement by Foreign Ministry noted that China's Huangyan Dao and Nansha Islands are outside Philippine territory. The Philippines has illegally occupied Mahuan Dao, Feixin Dao, Zhongye Dao, Nanyao Dao, Beizi Dao, Xiyue Dao, Shuanghuang Shazhou and Siling Jiao in China's Nansha Islands, in serious violation of international law, including the Charter of the United Nations. 

The Philippines has reneged on its commitment and sent warships to illegally "ground" on Ren'ai Jiao in the Nansha Islands for a long period of time, violating China's territorial sovereignty and contravening the Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea, in particular Article 5 that stipulates that all parties concerned shall refrain from taking habitation actions on uninhabited islands and reefs.

China has once again urged the Philippines to immediately withdraw all personnel and facilities from the above-mentioned islands and reefs, and to immediately tow away the illegally grounded warship from Ren'ai Jiao. The so-called Kalayaan Island Group, which the Philippines has set up beyond its own territory, infringes on China's territorial sovereignty and is illegal and invalid.

The Philippines seeks to justify its illegal claims and actions in the South China Sea by approving the so-called "Maritime Zones Act" in the name of implementing UNCLOS. This is illegal, null and void. 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. China will firmly oppose any infringement activities and provocations by the Philippines in the South China Sea based on the act, Mao noted.

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, the spokesperson said.

Various parts of the Philippine "Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act" are not compatible with regulations of international law and resolutions of the International Maritime Organization. We ask the Philippines to earnestly abide by international law and not to undermine other countries' lawful rights under UNCLOS and other international law, Mao said.

Global Times