(ECNS)--The “Maritime Zones Act” approved by the Senate of the Philippines has attempted to further enforce the illegal arbitral award on the South China Sea by domestic legislation and include China’s Huangyan Dao, most islands and reefs of China’s Nansha Qundao, and their adjacent waters into its maritime zones, which severely violates China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea.
China's position on the issue of Ren'ai Jiao is consistent and clear. The Philippines has broken its promise to China by making infringement and provocations, and creating trouble in the waters of Ren'ai Jiao, seriously violating China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.
The U.S. Department of State who disregards the fact and confuses right with wrong has made baseless attacks against China's legitimate and lawful actions to safeguard its rights. The U.S. has arbitrarily threatened China by resorting to the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty to embolden the Philippines and endorse its acts of infringement and provocation.
China urges the U.S. to refrain from using the Philippines as a pawn to destabilize the South China Sea. The Philippines also needs to refrain from being manipulated by the US. Lessons from history tell us that a pawn will only end up being abandoned.