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Fishermen with the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA), who went into a collective fishing expedition towards the Panatag Shoal (Scarborough Shoal), sail in waters off Zambales on May 31, 2024.  ABS-CBN News/file

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Expert: Philippines must persevere as China likely to escalate in response to new domestic laws

Michael Delizo

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:958px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1731131292231172164268738020240531-pamalakaya-expedition-aa-2241 (1).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Fishermen with the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA), who went into a collective fishing expedition towards the Panatag Shoal (Scarborough Shoal), sail in waters off Zambales on May 31, 2024.  <em>ABS-CBN News/file</em></span></span></span>MANILA – An expert said Saturday China is expected to respond with pushback and escalation following the Philippines’<a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/11/8/marcos-signs-two-laws-reinforcing-philippine-rights-over-maritime-zones-1306"> passage of new laws defining maritime zones under its jurisdiction and designating sea lanes</a> in the country for foreign vessels and aircraft. </div><p>Prof. Don McLain Gill, an international studies lecturer at the De La Salle University, said it is inevitable that Beijing will never appreciate any actions taken by Manila to uphold international law in the interest of securing its waters. </p><p>“China will always be frustrated. Anything that we will do to secure what is rightfully ours within the international law is against the interest of any expansionist power,” Gill said. “[To say] that this is a provocative issue, complicating the situation at hand, etcetera, it’ a natural reaction from them.” </p><p>“There would be challenges, but the importance here is we are on the defensive. We are defending, we are not proving. We are not poking the bear; the bear is poking us. But still, we maintain a very defensive posture, while keeping al lines of communication with China open,” he added. </p><p>The <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/11/8/china-summons-philippine-envoy-over-new-maritime-laws-2224">Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has summoned the Philippine ambassador to lodge solemn representations </a>over the Maritime Zones Law and Archipelago Sea Lanes Law, signed by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday. </p><p>The two landmark laws are seen to reinforce the Philippines’ maritime entitlements as tensions with China rose in the West Philippine Sea. </p><p>“China urges the Philippines to earnestly respect China&#x27;s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, immediately stop taking any unilateral actions that may lead to the expansion of disputes and complicate the situation, and earnestly maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea. China reserves the right to take necessary measures,” Beijing&#x27;s foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said. </p><p>Gill emphasized that there is nothing provocative about the Philippines&#x27; enactment of domestic laws, noting that these laws simply uphold international law. </p><p>As an active stakeholder in the Indo-Pacific&#x27;s rules-based maritime order, he argued, this is both a practical and crucial step for the Philippines. </p><p>“There’s nothing aggressive about enforcing international law – that is the counter-narrative that we are trying the [quash],” Gill said. “There is nothing provocative because it is in line with what international law states. The reason now is because mas naging acute ang competition to the point na anything could be deemed to be provocative.” </p><p>Republic Act 12064 or the Philippine Maritime Zones Act defines the extent of the country’s maritime entitlements and fully declares their metes and bounds in accordance with the Philippines Constitution and the United Nations Conventions on the Laws of the Sea. </p><p>These include the country’s internal waters, archipelagic waters, territorial sea, contiguous zone, exclusive economic zones, and continental shelf. </p><p>Meanwhile, Republic Act 12065 or the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act establishes three archipelagic sea lanes that shall be utilized and accessed by foreign ships and aircrafts, without compromising the country’s national security.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/11/9/us-backs-enactment-of-philippines-maritime-zones-act-901">READ: US backs enactment of Philippines Maritime Zones Act</a></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4UfEOWuJVxg?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>An expert said Saturday China is expected to respond with pushback and escalation following the Philippines’ passage of new laws defining maritime zones under its jurisdiction and designating sea lanes in the country for foreign vessels and aircraft.</p>

An expert said Saturday China is expected to respond with pushback and escalation following the Philippines’ passage of new laws defining maritime zones under its jurisdiction and designating sea lanes in the country for foreign vessels and aircraft.