The Philippines' adoption of "Maritime Zones Act" and "Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act" will inevitably impact the order of maritime navigation in the South China Sea, said Ong Tee Keat, former Malaysian minister of transport.
In early September, the Philippine bicameral conference panel approved the country's "Maritime Zones Act" and "Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act", which were signed and enacted by Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday.
The "Maritime Zones Act" illegally includes China's Huangyan Island and most of the islands and reefs of China's Nansha Qundao (Nansha Islands) and relevant waters into the maritime zones of the Philippines, while the "Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act" designates sea lanes in the country for foreign vessels and aircraft, which is incompatible with international law and resolutions of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
"This (the adoption of the Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act) is a unilateral decision and action, taking it upon themselves (the Philippines) to decide the right of passage for others. To make matters worse, they are imposing a domestic law on other countries. What the Philippines is doing now is effectively treating the straits between islands as internal waters. We all know that there's an international route through the Strait of Malacca. Let's say if Malaysia and Indonesia were to follow this logic and treat the Strait of Malacca as internal waters, there would be creating a situation beyond one's imagination. [The Philippines'] insistence on enforcing this law and restricting the passage of vessels from certain countries will inevitably disrupt the order of maritime navigation and subsequently have an impact on fishing rights. Economic activities in these contentious waters would also become a focal point for disputes. As a country in Southeast Asia, we definitely don't want to see the scene that peace in the region collapses overnight," the Malaysian official said in an interview in Beijing on Oct 21.
According to an email the IMO replied on Oct 31 to the inquiry from Yuyuantantian, a social media account affiliated with China Media Group, the "IMO has not received any formal proposal by the Philippines for the designation of the above-mentioned archipelagic sea lanes."
Ong also raised his concerns in this regard, saying without consulting international organizations in advance, the "Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act" may not gain international recognition.
"In this regard, the IMO is clearly on the defensive. From the perspective of an international organization, whether [this legislation] can hold up remains open to discussion. If [the international organization] adopts double standards, this would set a very bad precedent. If this case becomes a precedent, it will only lead to more problems in the future," Ong said.
Philippines new maritime law to disrupt navigation order: former Malaysian transport minister
As the 2024 APEC gathering commences in Lima, Peru, China's deepening partnerships with Latin American nations - bolstered by trade, investment, and the Belt and Road initiative - serves as a key example of the country's commitment to fostering inclusive economic cooperation across the Asia-Pacific region.
Under the overarching theme of "Empower. Include. Grow," APEC Peru 2024 which is running from Nov. 10-16, will bring leaders of its 21 member economies together to set the agenda for the Asia-Pacific region, with trade and investment for inclusive and interconnected growth beiamong the priority areas.
At the APEC media center next to the meeting's main venue, booths promoting new technologies and sustainable development are set up. Organizers say Peru is seeking opportunities to connect the largest markets and insert Peruvian companies in regional and global value chains.
In an opinion article posted on the website of the China Global Television Network (CGTN) last weekend, Peru's Ambassador to China Marco Balarezo wrote that exports to APEC economies represented 68.5 percent of Peru's total international transactions in 2023, and that the Asia-Pacific provides a critical region of opportunities and incorporation in the regional and global supply chains.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend this year's APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and pay a state visit to Peru from Wednesday to Sunday, with this being his sixth visit to Latin America since 2013.
An updated free trade agreement (FTA) between Peru and China, set to be signed during President Xi's visit, is another example of how APEC 2024 will bolster the economy, according to Ambassador Balarezo.
China is Latin America's second-largest trading partner and main source of investment, as well as the top trading partner for many countries in the region including Peru. It has signed Free Trade Agreements with five Latin American economies and established high-quality Belt and Road cooperation with 22 Latin American and Caribbean countries. The cooperation has grown beyond traditional areas like trade, finance, and infrastructure to include newer fields such as energy, the digital economy, and aerospace.
One of the flagship cooperative projects, the China-built Chancay Megaport north of Lima, set to become fully operational shortly after the APEC meeting, is establishing Peru as a gateway for South American trade to Asian markets. Beyond that, Balarezo said Peru invites all APEC enterprises to invest in this near-term endeavor.
Since it started over 30 years ago, APEC has turned into a powerful driver of economic growth and one of the most important forums in the Asia-Pacific region. With 21 member economies, APEC represents around 62 percent of the world's GDP and nearly half of global trade.
APEC is the first regional economic cooperation organization that China joined back in 1991. Experts believe China has accelerated the pace of opening up through APEC cooperation and has provided huge opportunities for economic and trade development in the Asia-Pacific region.
Strengthened China-Latin America ties epitomize APEC's push for inclusive economic cooperation
