China Opposes New Philippine Maritime Law, Vows to Protect South China Sea ‘Sovereignty’

A floating barrier is placed at the entrance of Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, February 22, 2024. (Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters)
A floating barrier is placed at the entrance of Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, February 22, 2024. (Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters)
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China Opposes New Philippine Maritime Law, Vows to Protect South China Sea ‘Sovereignty’

A floating barrier is placed at the entrance of Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, February 22, 2024. (Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters)
A floating barrier is placed at the entrance of Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, February 22, 2024. (Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters)

China firmly opposes the Philippines' Maritime Zones Act, which it says "severely infringes on" its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights in the South China Sea, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Sunday in a statement.

This follows China's release of a statement on the baseline of "territorial waters" around the disputed Scarborough Shoal, which China claims as its territory.

China will continue to take all necessary legal measures to protect its sovereignty and maritime rights, the foreign ministry said.

The Scarborough Shoal, known in China as Huangyan Island, is a major point of contention over sovereignty and fishing rights.



Iran Guards Chief Says Netanyahu ICC Warrant 'Political Death' of Israel

Revolutionary Guards chief General Hossein Salami - File/AFP
Revolutionary Guards chief General Hossein Salami - File/AFP
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Iran Guards Chief Says Netanyahu ICC Warrant 'Political Death' of Israel

Revolutionary Guards chief General Hossein Salami - File/AFP
Revolutionary Guards chief General Hossein Salami - File/AFP

The head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Friday described the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a former defense minister as the “end and political death” of Israel, in a speech.
“This means the end and political death of the Zionist regime, a regime that today lives in absolute political isolation in the world and its officials can no longer travel to other countries,” Revolutionary Guards chief General Hossein Salami said in the speech aired on state TV.
In the first official reaction by Iran, Salami called the ICC warrant “a welcome move” and a “great victory for the Palestinian and Lebanese resistance movements,” both supported by the Islamic republic, AFP reported.
The court also issued a warrant for the arrest of Hamas’s military chief Mohammed Deif.
The warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant were issued in response to accusations of crimes against humanity and war crimes during Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, sparked by the Palestinian militant group’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
The ICC’s move theoretically limits the movement of Netanyahu, as any of the court’s 124 national members would be obliged to arrest him on their territory.
The court’s chief prosecutor Karim Khan urged the body’s members to act on the warrants, and for non-members to work together in “upholding international law.”