Philippines: The Philippine government announced baselines around the disputed Scarborough Shoal on Tuesday in protest of Chinese aggressiveness over the South China Sea.

According to Radio Free Asia, China was accused of this behavior by the Philippines, which said it violated “the Philippines’ long-established sovereignty over the shoal.”

In an effort to bolster its territorial claims over the disputed region, which is located inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), China established baselines for its territorial sea around the shoal, according to Radio Free Asia.

Beijing also claimed 64 islands that are within the jurisdiction of another nation.

“The establishment of the baselines by China around the shoal is a continuation of its 2012 illegal seizure of the shoal, which the Philippines continues to strongly oppose,” said the Philippine Presidential Office for Maritime Concerns.

According to a Beijing-based foreign ministry official, “This is a natural step by the Chinese government to lawfully strengthen marine management and is consistent with international law and common practices.” “In accordance with international law,” he continued, referring to the Chinese declaration of baselines next to Huangyan Dao, as reported by Radio Free Asia.

China’s claim to the South China Sea reefs, including the Scarborough Shoal, was denied by a UN arbitration panel in 2016.

The triangle chain of reefs known as Scarborough Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc is located 125 nautical miles off Luzon, the Philippines’ biggest island. Although Taiwan, China, and the Philippines all claim this shoal as their own, China has enjoyed de facto authority over it since 2012.

According to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, or UNCLOS, a baseline is a line that runs parallel to a nation’s or island’s shoreline and is used to define lengths for the territorial sea and other zones, such as the extended continental shelf and the exclusive economic zone.