The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Sunday lamented China’s insistence on its so-called maritime rights over almost the entire South China Sea.

AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla condemned a recent statement by Southern Theater Command spokesperson Tian Junli questioning the Philippines’ holding of joint patrols with allied countries in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Junli accused the Philippines of “unlawful violation of China’s maritime rights [that] disrupt peace and stability in the South China Sea through military provocations and media hype.”

China claims almost the entire SCS, encroaching on the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the WPS.

Padilla emphasized the Philippines’ sovereign rights in the WPS under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 arbitral ruling.

“If we look at this, the arbitral ruling in 2016 ruled in favor of the Philippines. Therefore, our right is our might. International law is behind our country,” she said.

“In this case, the UNCLOS ruling identified our maritime zones and our exclusive economic zone. It’s important to highlight that our country is not expansionist. We do not interfere in the territories of other nations,” Padilla added.

She further stressed that the Philippines is “merely defending” its territory, which is “within the scope of international law.”

Aside from affirming the Philippines EEZ, the 2016 arbitral ruling also declared baseless China’s territorial claim in the South China Sea, which overlaps the WPS.

It said Beijing’s Nine-dash line theory, which it later expanded to 10-dash line, has no basis in law. China, however, did not recognize the arbitral ruling, saying its claim is based on historical data.

Philippine forces recently concluded its seventh Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity with their counterparts from the United States and Canada on 12 February.

AFP Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Jr. said the Philippine military is “looking forward” to conducting more maritime activities and joint sails with other allied countries, including Italy, the United Kingdom and France.

Also on Sunday, the AFP said it has strengthened its military cooperation with its German counterparts.

This followed discussions between Brawner and General Carsten Breuer, Germany’s Chief of Defense Forces, in Munich, Germany on 14 February.

“The meeting focused on expanding collaboration in key areas such as cyber warfare, military education and training, and maritime cooperative activities,” the AFP said in a statement.

It added the engagement between the military officials “aims to enhance the interoperability and capabilities” of both armed forces “in addressing shared security challenges.”

“The strengthened cooperation between the AFP and the German Armed Forces aligns with the Philippines’ broader efforts to fortify international defense partnerships and maintain regional stability,” the military further stated.