Hey there! Have you heard about the South China Sea? 🌊 It’s a big area of ocean that’s super important for many countries, including the Philippines and China.
Recently, the Philippines made some new laws about this sea. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed two laws: the Philippine Maritime Zones Act and the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act. These laws talk about the parts of the sea the Philippines says it owns and the paths ships and planes can use.
But here’s the tricky part: China doesn’t agree with these new laws. 🇨🇳 They say that the Philippines is making claims that are against international rules, like the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). This set of rules helps countries decide who owns which parts of the ocean.
China believes that land decides who owns the sea around it. So, if two countries both say they own certain islands or areas, it can get complicated! They think the Philippines’ new laws are affecting areas that China believes are theirs.
The Philippines says they’re following international law and a decision from 2016 that supported their claims. But China didn’t accept that decision and still doesn’t agree with it.
All this disagreement means that both countries need to talk and work things out peacefully. 🕊️ Many people believe that sitting down and discussing these issues is the best way to solve them.
The South China Sea is important because many ships pass through it, and there are lots of resources like fish and maybe even oil and gas under the sea! 🐟⛽ That’s why it’s so important to so many countries.
Let’s hope that the Philippines and China can find a friendly way to agree on what’s best for everyone! 🌏
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
