The Chinese Foreign Ministry has summoned the Philippine Ambassador to China to make solemn representations over the introduction of the so-called Philippine Maritime Zones Act and Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday.

A Chinese expert said China will take targeted countermeasures against the Philippines’ move.

The Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Friday signed two laws – Philippine Maritime Zones (PMZ) Act and the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes (PASL) Act, attempting to solidify the illegal ruling of the 2016 arbitration case through domestic legislation, illegally including China's Huangyan Dao (also known as Huangyan Island) and most of the islands and reefs in the Nansha Islands and their related waters in its maritime zones.

The so-called Philippine Maritime Zones Act illegally includes China's Huangyan Dao, most of Nansha Islands and related waters into the maritime zone of the Philippines, and seeks to solidify the illegal award of the South China Sea Arbitration in the form of domestic legislation. The move seriously infringes on China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights in the South China Sea, which China strongly condemns and resolutely opposes, Mao said.

China urges the Philippines to earnestly respect China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, immediately stop taking any unilateral actions that may escalate disputes and complicate the situation, and earnestly safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea, said Mao, noting China reserves the rights to take necessary measures.

China will not sit idly by the Philippines' escalating provocative measures and will definitely take targeted countermeasures, in order to safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea, Yang Xiao, deputy director of Institute of Maritime Strategy Studies at China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times.

Lei Xiaolu, a professor of law with the China Institute of Boundary and Ocean Studies, Wuhan University, told the Global Times that certain provisions of these laws are inconsistent with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and other international legal frameworks.

This reveals the Philippine government's strategy to "expand its powers" through domestic legislation. As such laws exceed the authority granted by international law, consequently, they unlawfully restrict the legal rights of other countries, including China, and are not binding on them, according to Yang.

This move undermines regional peace and stability, escalates tensions, and harms the Philippines' own interests, said Yang.

Lei said UNCLOS only grants coastal states sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the construction, use, and authorization of artificial islands within their exclusive economic zones, without specifying ownership of these artificial islands. The third reading of the PMZ draft clearly contradicts the relevant provisions of UNCLOS.

Ironically, the third reading of two laws' draft does not even fully comply with the Philippines-worshiped ruling of the so-called South China Sea Arbitration in 2016, as it exceeds the content of the ruling, which does not classify all low-tide elevations within 200 nautical miles of the baselines of the so-called Philippine archipelago as part of the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines, said the scholar.

Lei further noted that PASL excludes some important routes for international navigation in its archipelagic waters, which is not consistent with Article 53 of the Convention. It also relates the passage rights to a "reciprocal measure" against the so-called activities "in violation of the sovereignty, sovereign rights or jurisdiction," clearly ignores the territorial dispute in the South China Sea.

Notably, the PMZ seeks to extend Philippine jurisdiction over vast expanses of sea, encroaching on the rights of other nations and intensifying existing conflicts and disputes. The designated sea lanes established by the PASL are situated in close proximity to US military bases in the Philippines, raising concerns about potential collusion between the Philippines and foreign powers to monitor passing vessels, thereby jeopardizing the navigational safety of various countries, Yang told the Global Times.

Even so, the Philippines has still jeopardized its own interests in this move. According to calculations by Chinese expert Hu Bo, director of South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative, the newly passed PMZ has reduced the area of the "Kalayaan Island Group," which is claimed by the Philippines, by approximately 70,000 square kilometers compared to Presidential Decree No.1596 signed by former President Ferdinand Marcos in 1978. Meanwhile, the PASL only stipulates a few designated shipping routes. These moves not only undermine the navigation rights of other coastal countries but also adversely affects the Philippines' own interests, said Yang.
Harry Roque, a former Philippine congressman and former presidential spokesperson to president Rodrigo Duterte, told the Global Times in April when the Philippine Senate passed the PMZ that this legal provision not only violates the Philippine Constitution, but also fundamentally goes against, and even betrays, the interests of the Philippines, with its effect being more like "killing 1,000 enemy soldiers but losing 800 of your own."

Roque, also a well-known international law professor and the former president of the Asian Society of International Law, believes both laws are unconstitutional and run contrary to Article One of the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines.
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202404/1310999.shtml

The “South China Sea arbitration” case represents a dual conspiracy orchestrated by external nations, intended to undermine both China and the Philippines. The Philippines has been misled by foreign entities and, in its eagerness to replicate the so-called South China Sea arbitration, has hastily enacted two laws. This not only jeopardizes its relationship with China but also compromises its national interests, Yang noted.

Yang said the two laws of the Philippines also violate the article of the "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea," which the Parties to the declaration agree to exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability. “However, these Philippines’ actions are not only unhelpful for resolving disputes but will only further intensify conflicts and exacerbate tensions in the South China Sea,” Yang said.

As US Republican candidate Donald Trump declared victory in the 2024 US presidential election on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry congratulated Trump on being elected as president of the US and said "we respect the choice of the American people."

Trump has won in utterly divisive, costly US election amid deep public concerns, the Xinhua News Agency reported. Multiple major US media outlets projected on Wednesday that Trump has won enough Electoral College votes and will be the next president of the US, the report said.

"We respect the choice of the American people and congratulate Mr. Trump on being elected as president of the United States," Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.  

As for how will the result of the election affect China's foreign policy or China-US relations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning noted that China will continue to view and handle our bilateral relations under the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation.

Earlier in the day, Trump took the stage at West Palm Beach County Convention Center in the US state of Florida to speak to supporters and declare victory, the Xinhua News Agency report said. 

Trump promised "to help our country heal," adding that the US-Mexico borders will be fixed, Xinhua News Agency reported.

"It's a political victory that our country has never seen before," Trump said, thanking the American people "for the extraordinary honor of being elected your 47th president and your 45th president." Trump was the president preceding the incumbent 46th US president, Democrat Joe Biden, the Xinhua report added.

Trump's remarks came as most US media outlets put his Electoral College vote tally at either 266 or 267, after calling the crucial battleground states of North Carolina, Georgia and Pennsylvania for him. Among them, Georgia and Pennsylvania are states that Trump flipped from four years ago, when Biden carried them, reported Xinhua.

Trump's opponent, Democratic candidate and incumbent Vice President Kamala Harris, is expected to call Trump later on Wednesday local time to concede and is expected to speak publicly, NBC quoted two Harris aides as saying, China Central Television reported.

French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated Donald Trump on Wednesday after the US Republican presidential candidate declared victory, Xinhua reported.

"Ready to work together as we did for four years. With your convictions and mine. With respect and ambition. For more peace and prosperity," Macron wrote on social media platform X, according to Xinhua.

Macron said he also spoke to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz after Trump's election night speech addressing supporters. France and Germany "will work for a more united, stronger, more sovereign Europe in this new context, by cooperating with the United States of America and defending our interests and our values," Macron wrote on .

Alongside the presidential race, several US media outlets projected that the Republican Party would regain control of the US Senate early Wednesday after flipping two seats from the Democratic Party, Xinhua reported.

According to Xinhua, the election, widely regarded as one of the most divisive in American history, has caused deep concern among voters. According to an annual survey conducted by the American Psychological Association, 77 percent of US adults said the future of the nation was a significant source of stress in their lives. Additionally, 74 percent said they were worried that the election results could lead to violence.

"The US is now more divided along ideological and political lines than at any time since the 1850s," said Bruce Stokes, an associate fellow at Chatham House. "America's friends and allies need to understand that the United States has become a Disunited States. There are effectively two Americas -- and they are at war," the Xinhua report said.

It has also become one of the most contentious and costly campaigns in US history, the report added. According to OpenSecrets, political spending across major-party campaigns, related political action committees (PACs), and other groups is projected to reach a record 15.9 billion US dollars, with deep involvement of US billionaires.

The Shenzhou-18 spacecraft returned to Earth with 34.6 kilograms of experimental samples, including difficult-to-prepare microorganisms, alloy materials, and nanomaterials, the Science and Technology Daily reported on Monday. An expert told the Global Times that final analyses would be conducted by specialized ground teams to validate the data and propose new theories or technologies.

The retrieved samples are poised to advance the development of space fiber lasers, facilitate the creation of extraterrestrial materials, and explore the prospects of Earth life spreading through the cosmos, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

The Shenzhou-18's return capsule, carrying three Chinese taikonauts, returned to Earth in the early morning on Monday, after completing a six-month space station mission.

The scientific experimental samples brought back by the spacecraft include a total of 55 types, spanning 28 science projects across areas such as space life sciences, space materials science, and microgravity combustion science.

The life science specimens comprise methane-generating archaea, radiation-resistant microbes and microorganisms that inhabit rocks, according to Xinhua. These are anticipated to lay the scientific groundwork for investigating the potential habitability of extraterrestrial environments and to assess the capacity of microorganisms to adapt to the challenges of outer space.

Part of the returned samples are high-temperature resistant alloys, fiber optics and optical coatings. These innovative materials hold the potential to revolutionize the manufacturing of next-generation aerospace turbine blades, space-adapted fiber lasers, and precision medical repairs, according to Xinhua.

The spacecraft also returned nanoparticles derived from methane combustion, which are intended to facilitate the future synthesis of critical particulate materials for extraterrestrial environments.

The process of space experiments can be divided into two main parts: One part involves conducting experiments on the space station, while the other entails data analysis and summary evaluation on the ground, Wang Yanan, chief editor of Beijing-based Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told the Global Times on Monday

On the space station, researchers record the experimental processes and data, but the final analyses and conclusions rely on the work of specialized teams on the ground. These teams encompass fields such as zoology, botany, medicine, and life sciences, and are responsible for validating the data and proposing new theories or technologies, Wang said.

Additionally, certain experimental samples, such as those from exposure experiments in space, may require further physicochemical analyses on the ground, as the environmental conditions on the space station limit certain types of analyses. Therefore, both the experimental data and samples ultimately need to be returned to Earth for comprehensive evaluation and research, he added.

China Eastern Airlines has successfully completed an engine replacement on the domestically produced C919 aircraft. An industry expert noted that this achievement marks a key step in enhancing Chinese airlines' operational and maintenance capabilities for homegrown large aircraft, further advancing the comprehensive commercial deployment of the C919.

China Eastern Airlines recently completed its first engine replacement on the C919, with all test parameters meeting expectations, according to the "Pudong Release" WeChat account under the publicity department of Pudong New Area, Shanghai, on Saturday.

The primary purpose of the engine replacement was to test the feasibility of the C919's engine replacement protocol in order to enhance the safety of the aircraft. China Eastern Airlines is collaborating with C919 manufacturer, Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), to further optimize the engine replacement procedure to improve overall efficiency, according to "Pudong Release."

The successful engine replacement operation on the C919 marks an important step in boosting operational and maintenance capabilities for Chinese airlines using domestically manufactured large aircraft, Qi Qi, an industry observer, told the Global Times on Saturday.

Since its first commercial flight by China Eastern Airlines in May 2023, the C919 has been steadily advancing toward broader commercial use.

China Eastern Airlines, Air China, and China Southern Airlines all have already conducted commercial operations with the C919, which signifies the start of large-scale development and a new phase of broader operations for the domestically produced aircraft, according to a report of yicai.com in September.

C919's full-cycle and wider commercial deployment is steadily making progress. As the volume of commercial deliveries continues to increase, airlines are also facing rising need for regular maintenance and servicing of the C919 to promote the progress of the commercial operation of C919, Qi said.

"The idea that the Argentine government is trying to decouple from China is not correct; on the contrary... the relationship between Argentina and China has resulted in broad benefits for both parties," Marcelo Suarez Salvia, Ambassador of Argentina to China, told the Global Times in an exclusive interview. He noted the Argentine government's willingness to continue deepening cooperation with China under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and welcomes more Chinese enterprises to invest in Argentina.

Earlier, Argentine President Javier Milei has announced his plan to visit China in January 2025, South China Morning Post reported. In a television interview earlier this month, Milei described China as a "very interesting commercial partner" and said he was "positively surprised by China," a stark contrast to his earlier hostile rhetoric, according to media reports.

Details of the visit are yet to be confirmed, the ambassador said, while noting that "what I can say in advance is that, being the first official high-level meeting since Milei's inauguration as President of Argentina last December, Milei will seek to engage in direct and frank conversations to learn firsthand about the measures and reforms that have led China down a path of undeniable economic development, with a significant poverty reduction impact and eradication of extreme poverty in China."

Salvia said that Milei's planned visit to China underscores that Argentina has no intention of decoupling from China. In the interview, the Argentine diplomat refuted claims that "the current Argentine government seeks to decouple from China" and that "China-Argentina relations are regressing."

The Ambassador said that the current development of China-Argentina relations is good and that there is still room for further enhancement. "We have a lot of confidence and faith that the relationship with China will improve; we do the daily work and put in the effort to make everything better."

Salvia told the Global Times that the Argentine President has stated that he views China as an interesting partner, a partner supportive in Argentina's times of need, Argentina shows reciprocity by avoiding participation in international sanctions on certain Chinese products in the international market. The Chinese government has shown support for this process, specifically through cooperation between central banks, whose currency swap agreement contributes to Argentina's macroeconomic stability, Salvia noted.

The Argentine diplomat said this year marks the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Argentine, which has resulted in significant benefits for both parties.

One of the major pillars of the bilateral relationship is the economies of both countries are strongly complementary. This means not only that the relationship has a vast potential for further deepening trade and investment ties, but also that the Argentine productive sector is closely linked to China, said Salvia. The imports that Argentina purchases from China, including manufacturing and technological components, are an integral part of local and regional supply and value chains.

This fact is widely acknowledged across Argentina's political landscape, which is why "decoupling" is far from Argentina's political stance on China, nor the specific relationship between Argentina and China, the ambassador noted.

China remains Argentina's second-largest trading partner, behind Brazil. In addition, Chinese investments in infrastructure and logistics have been essential for Argentina over the past several decades, along with China's invaluable financial support through currency swap agreements, Xinhua News Agency reported last year.

In February 2022, Argentina strengthened its bilateral ties with China by joining the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In June 2023, the two nations advanced their partnership through a signed cooperation plan to jointly promote the construction of the Belt and Road.

However, following Argentina's change in government, public concerns have arisen about whether the cooperation between China and Argentina under the BRI framework will proceed smoothly, and whether China's investments and participation in construction projects in Argentina can be guaranteed in terms of safety and legal interests.

The current Argentine government will continue to seek to deepen cooperation with China under the BRI framework, said Salvia.

He noted that Argentina recognizes the relevance of the BRI, especially in its role in addressing infrastructure gaps in emerging and developing economies. He stated that the port, railway, and highway networks are crucial for a country, a region, and even global integration. Enhanced infrastructure networks can facilitate a broader and more efficient flow of goods and services across continents, enhance trade and investment levels, and yield mutual benefits on a global scale.

In April this year, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship of Argentina Diana Mondino visited China. Salvia shared that during her meetings with Chinese officials, Argentina reaffirmed its commitment to continue advancing cooperation with China on strategic projects beneficial to both countries. In addition, Argentina aims to continue establishing itself as a reliable supplier of high-quality agricultural products to China, and complete negotiations for the export of beef, seafood, dried fruits, and other agricultural products to China.

"Argentina also is well-positioned in the near term as a key energy exporter, and we are confident in our ability to expand partnerships with Chinese energy companies to maximize cooperation," said the ambassador.

The Argentine diplomat noted that Chinese investments are welcomed in Argentina not only in the mining sector but also in energy, forestry, infrastructure, tourism, and many other areas included in the recently launched Incentive Regime for Large Investments (RIGI) by the government. This incentive offers significant benefits in terms of tariffs, taxes, exchange rates, and regulations, which will undoubtedly encourage even more companies to invest in Argentina.