The Chinese Embassy in Manila said China and the Philippines have overlapping maritime claims in the South China Sea and called on both sides to manage differences and avoid actions that could escalate tensions. In a statement addressed to Senator Francis Pangilinan, the embassy said the Philippines has the right to claim an exclusive economic zone based on its main islands, while China also claims an EEZ based on what it called the Nansha Qundao and Zhongsha Qundao.

Dantes, C. (2026, January 4). China, Philippines urged to manage overlapping sea claims. Manila Standard, p. A3.