China rebukes US backing of Philippines' so-called 'Maritime Zones Act'

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Monday rebuked U.S. backing of the Philippines' enactment of the so-called "Maritime Zones Act."

Spokesperson Lin Jian told a press briefing that driven by its geopolitical interests, the United States has been inciting the Philippines to provoke unrest in the South China Sea for many years, and that the U.S. intentions to disturb the South China Sea are well-known to the world.

The U.S. State Department on Nov. 8 issued a statement supporting the so-called act, alleging that it "aligns" Philippine domestic laws with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the so-called "2016 Arbitral Tribunal ruling."

"The South China Sea arbitration itself violates the UNCLOS and is a complete political farce. The so-called arbitral ruling on the South China Sea is illegal, null and void," Lin said.

The U.S. side repeatedly demands that all countries abide by the UNCLOS, but the United States itself has not joined the UNCLOS, Lin said. "This is a typical act of hypocritical 'double standard,'" he added.