On November 8, 2024, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed new laws (Maritime Zones Act and Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act), according to which Manila secured the rights to the West Philippine Sea, a part of the South China Sea, which, ignoring the provisions of UNCLOS and the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague (2016), is being infringed upon by China.
This decision was immediately supported by the US State Department, which saw it as a way to create a “legal barrier” between the Philippines and China.
The new legislation establishes a formal regime for the movement of foreign ships and aircraft in Philippine sovereign waters and strengthens Manila’s position in the event of future Chinese provocations.
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