Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr signed the Maritime Zones Act and the Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act into law on Friday, affirming his country’s maritime boundaries and rights over maritime resources.

He called them “important laws that underscore the importance of our maritime and archipelagic identity,” according to a statement from the presidential communications office.

Beijing summoned the Philippine ambassador to “make stern representations” on the matter, China’s Foreign Ministry said at Friday afternoon’s press briefing.

In a statement released hours later, the foreign affairs committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s top legislature, said the maritime zones law “does not take into account the strong opposition and harsh portrayals of China” and “severely undermines China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights in China.” the South China Sea.

The NPC “strongly condemns and strongly opposes this,” the statement said.

It alleged that the act “illegally includes China’s Huangyan Island and most of the islands, reefs and associated waters of the Nansha Islands in the maritime zones of the Philippines”, referring respectively to the disputed Scarborough Shoal and the islands Spratly.

The statement also called the move an attempt by Manila to legitimize the “illegal decision” in the South China Sea arbitration case through domestic law.