South China Sea: new Philippine laws that sparked Beijing’s fury to ‘stress’ foreign ships

Analysts say the Maritime Zones Act and Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act don’t expand Manila’s claims in the waterway, but China is unconvinced

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A Chinese coastguard vessel pictured beside Chinese militia ships near Thitu Island in the South China Sea on Wednesday last week. Photo: AP

Published: 8:00am, 11 Nov 2024

In a move that has sent ripples through the South China Sea, the Philippines has enacted two new laws aimed at clarifying maritime routes. Officials insist these measures are not about expanding territory, but observers warn that foreign vessels may soon face “stresses” as they adapt to Manila’s newly defined sea lanes.

The Maritime Zones Act and the Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act were signed into law on Friday, drawing sharp criticism from China amid a long-running dispute between the two countries over the waterway.

“We anticipate stresses because international shipping will have to adjust their routes,” Philippine coastguard chief Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan told This Week in Asia.

Speaking on Thursday, ahead of the signing, at the three-day Manila Dialogue on the South China Sea, Gavan also told his fellow coastguard chiefs from Indonesia, Malaysia and Japan that his side “will be playing great roles in enforcing these laws”.

Gavan anticipated that the legislation on archipelagic sea lanes would pose a greater challenge. “The Philippines is an archipelagic state with 7,641 islands and we have so many routes normally used for international navigation,” he said.

“We anticipate the stresses this law will bring when the international or the global shipping [corporations] will have to adjust their routes to these specific routes defined by the law.”