The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea defines the EEZ as a nine-dash line spanning 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) belonging to the Phillippines who has the sole rights to explore and exploit natural resources.
This recent sighting has been a continuation of tense skirmishes between Manilla and Beijing, who claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, in recent years.
These proclamations were deemed a violation of international law, especially when a 2016 tribunal by the Permanent Court of Arbitration concluded that China’s claims had no legal basis.
But China ignored the ruling and continued to wrestle sovereignty from the Philippines. In 2012, for example, the Philippines spotted five Chinese Coastal Guard ships, 10 small boats, and 18 maritime milita ships.
This recent sighting has been a continuation of tense skirmishes between Beijing and Manilla in recent years.
