US backs Philippine Maritime Zones Act

The US State Department expressed support for the Philippines’ enactment of the Maritime Zones Act, signed into law by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday. The new law aligns Philippine laws with the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention and the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal ruling, defining the country’s maritime zones, including territorial sea, and exclusive economic zone. The U.S. praised the Philippines for upholding international law, particularly in the South China Sea, and urged all nations to align their maritime claims with the Convention.