Philippines rejects new Chinese map over South China Sea claims

It features 10-dash line that includes areas within Manila's exclusive economic zone

- Mara Cepeda

MANILA - The Philippines on Thursday joined Malaysia and India in disputing a new Chinese map claiming the waters off the Southeast Asian nations' coasts, as well as part of the north-east of India.

The Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it is rejecting the map issued on Monday by Beijing's Ministry of Natural Resources.

The new map features a 10-dash line that includes the eastern parts of the disputed South China Sea that fall within Manila's 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The Philippines officially calls this area the West Philippine Sea.

A 2016 arbitral tribunal ruling has already rejected Beijing's sweeping claim over most of the South China Sea, which is also being claimed by four Asean countries the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam - as well as Taiwan.

China's claim has long been represented by a nine-dash line in its map.

Beijing, however, has refused to recognise this ruling and has instead ramped up its military presence and artificial island-building activities in the disputed waters.