Lawmakers Move To Let US Ally Claim China’s Artificial Islands

A bill to challenge the ownership of China’s artificial islands in Southeast Asia’s contested waters is moving through the Congress of the Philippines, an ally the United States is treaty-bound to defend in the event of an attack. An amendment approved on Wednesday by the Senate in Manila would allow the Philippine government to lay claim to any man-made feature that falls within its exclusive economic zone. That could include at least three reefs in the disputed Spratly Islands archipelago that have been fully militarized by China in the past decade. An EEZ refers to waters that extend 200 nautical…