Philippines defines its sea routes to defend interests

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos yesterday signed laws defining the country’s sea waters and imposing fixed lanes for foreign ships, sparking a sharp riposte by China which summoned Manila’s envoy.
The Maritime Zones Act marks out waters that fall within Manila’s territory as well as areas outside of it to which it has maritime entitlements, as agreed by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
They include some waters contested by China, which claims most of the South China Sea including areas close to the shores of the Philippines.