MANILA, Philippines — The State Department on Saturday conveyed its support to the country's newly enacted Maritime Zones Act, joining Australia in congratulating the Philippines on the law's passage.

The statement was issued as China protested the law and promised to take "all measures necessary" to continue protecting its claims in the South China Sea.

"The United States supports the Philippines' enactment of the Maritime Zones Act, signed into law by President (Ferdinand R.) Marcos (Jr.) on November 8, 2024. The Maritime Zones Act aligns Philippine domestic laws with the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention and the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal ruling," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

"This law defines the Philippines internal waters, archipelagic waters, territorial sea, contiguous zone, exclusive economic zone, and continental shelf in line with the Convention," he added.

Miller said other nations, including fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, have enacted similar legislation over the years.

"The passage of the Maritime Zones Act by the Philippines is a routine matter and further clarifies Philippine maritime law," he said.

"The United States values Philippine leadership in upholding international law, particularly in the South China Sea, and calls on all states to comport their maritime claims to the international law of the sea as reflected in the Convention," he added.

In an interview, University of the Philippines Institute of Maritime Affairs and Law of Sea Executive Director Jay Batongbacal said the Maritime Zones Act merely clarified the exact meters and bounds of the country's jurisdiction in the South China Sea that were fully aligned with international law.

During the Pacific Forum-organized Manila Dialogue on Friday, US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson said Washington, DC would continue standing with Manila in upholding a rules-based order in the South China Sea.

She reiterated that the US, along with other like-minded states, "unequivocally" backs the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal that invalidates Beijing's so-called historic rights over the vital sea lane.

"We are far from alone. More and more nations -- from East Asia to Western Europe -- have spoken out to support the Philippines, uphold international law, and urge the PRC to cease escalatory and dangerous actions that impede the exercise of freedom of navigation and overflight from which all nations benefit," she said.

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