China says overlapping sea claims must be managed

CHINA’S Embassy in Manila on Saturday reiterated Beijing’s long-standing position that China and the Philippines have overlapping maritime claims in the South China Sea, pushing back against assertions that Chinese activities have violated the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ). In a statement addressed to Sen. Francis Pangilinan, the embassy said the Philippines is entitled to claim an EEZ based on its main landmasses, including Luzon, Palawan and Mindoro, while China also claims an EEZ derived from what it calls the Nansha Qundao (Spratly Islands) and Zhongsha Qundao (a Chinese term for submerged features in the central South China Sea). As…