Philippines Asserts Maritime Rights Amid Chinese Military Drills and UN Submissions
2 sources across 2 countries · Hong Kong · Philippines
Who reported this
- South China Morning Post
- Philippine Daily Inquirer
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
- A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.
Political lean describes where an outlet sits within the politics of its own country. It is never a position on a single global scale.
Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.
The owner of each outlet is listed as a matter of record, not as a judgement about the outlet.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) stated that Chinese military exercises cannot alter the legal claim of the Philippines to Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal. This statement followed reports from China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command regarding joint naval and air combat drills conducted in the vicinity of the shoal on August 1. The Chinese drills involved bomber aircraft armed with anti ship missiles and various naval and coast guard ships performing interception, boarding, inspection, and towing exercises. The PLA stated these actions were a response to regional acts that have undermined peace and stability.
Simultaneously, the Philippines is pursuing legal avenues to secure its maritime interests. On July 28, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) delivered a partial submission to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf regarding its extended continental shelf. The DFA described this move as a commitment to the United Nations Charter and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). While the AFP emphasized the protection of territory and maritime rights consistent with the 2016 Arbitral Award, the UN submission specifically concerns seabed and subsoil rights rather than sovereignty over disputed islands.
How each side framed it
- Centre
- The center lean framing focuses on the AFP's defiance of Chinese military activity and the legal basis for Philippine claims.
- Centre-right
- The center-right lean framing emphasizes the technical nature of the UN submission and questions whether such moves might hinder ASEAN code of conduct negotiations.
Sources
100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.