China issued a regulation that authorizes the arrest of “foreigners” in the disputed maritime territories, including the South China Sea, beginning June. Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the WPS Commodore Jay Tarriela immediately denounced China’s directive, calling it “illegal.” “These are things that we can say are illegal actions again by China,” Tarriela said.

Requejo, R. E., & Lopez, V. (2024, May 18). China warns arrest of trespassers in SCS. Manila Standard, pp. A1, A2.