China Rejects New Philippine Maritime Baselines in South China Sea
On July 31, 2026, the Chinese Foreign Ministry officially rejected the Philippines' new delimitation of territorial sea baselines around Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Dao). Beijing declared the move "illegal, null, and void," accusing Manila of infringing upon Chinese sovereignty and violating international law. The diplomatic flare-up follows multiple maritime confrontations in July 2026. China reiterated that it does not recognize the 2016 arbitration ruling and warned it would respond resolutely to any further "provocations" in the disputed waters.