China rejected Philippine maritime claims on Sunday, saying new legislation "severely infringes on" Beijing's territorial sovereignty and rights in the South China Sea, and vowing to protect its own interests.

China has published baselines for a contested shoal in the South China Sea it had seized from the Philippines, a move that’s likely to increase tensions over overlapping territorial claims

BEIJING >> China rejected Philippine maritime claims on Sunday, saying new legislation “severely infringes on” Beijing’s territorial sovereignty and rights in the South China Sea, and vowing to protect its own interests.

The move from Beijing comes just a day after the Philippines signed two laws defining the country’s maritime zones

Analysts say the Maritime Zones Act and Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act don't expand Manila's claims in the waterway, but China is unconvinced In a move that has sent ripples through the South China Sea, the Philippines has enacted two new laws aimed at clarifying maritime routes.

China has published baselines for a contested shoal in the South China Sea it had seized from the Philippines, a move that's likely to increase tensions over overlapping territorial claims. The Foreign Ministry on Sunday posted online geographic coordinates for the baselines around Scarborough Shoal.