Marcos: We don't agree with China's definition of sovereignty

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. rebuffed China's territorial claims anew on Thursday, November 14, saying the Philippines "does not agree" with Beijing's definition of "sovereign territory."

Marcos said this in a chance interview with the media in Cavite, a day after the Department of Foreign Affairs summoned the Chinese ambassador to Manila over Beijing's newly publicized baselines around Scarborough Shoal.

The president's words add to the diplomatic row that has erupted over the Philippines' passage of two new laws on November 8 that asserts its sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea.

Manila insists it has the right to pass laws clarifying its maritime zones and sea lanes that also align with principles of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). China, however, immediately summoned the Philippine ambassador to Beijing to protest the new laws, which it said "severely violate" China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights in the South China Sea. 

"They're objecting to it," Marcos said in Filipino, referring to China's response to the Philippines' maritime legislation. 

"They're saying that 'we do not agree,' and that they will continue to protect what they defined as their sovereign territory," he said, adding: "Of course, we do not agree with their definition of sovereign territory."

Four days after Marcos signed the Maritime Zones Act and the Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act, China released a set of geographic coordinates around Scarborough Shoal, which it calls Huangyan Dao.

Beijing said it was a "natural step" for the government to publish the baselines for its maritime management. 

In response, the Department of Foreign Affairs summoned Chinese ambassador Huang Xilian to register the Philippines' protest over the China-declared baselines.

"The said baselines infringe upon Philippine sovereignty and contravene international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 Arbitral Award. The said baselines have no legal basis and are not binding on the Philippines," the DFA said. 

In a statement, the Philippines' National Maritime Council pointed out that China's use of straight baselines around Scarborough Shoal violates UNCLOS and the 2016 ruling as these technical boundaries can only be drawn under specific conditions. 

The contested feature lies well within the Philippines' 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone and is approximately 472 nautical miles from China's nearest coast. 

Baselines are the lines from which the breadth of the territorial sea, contiguous zone and other maritime zones are measured.

According to UNCLOS, straight baselines can only be drawn when there is a presence of a deeply indented coastline or a fringe of islands along the coast, among others. Scarborough Shoal does not have these.