The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday issued a statement to protest Manila's Maritime Zones Act and the Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act that bolster its maritime claims in the South China Sea.

The Maritime Zones law illegally includes most of China's Huangyan Island and Nansha Islands and related maritime areas in the Philippines' maritime zones, which seriously infringes on China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, the statement said.

The statement pointed out that China strongly condemns and firmly opposes this act and its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea will not be affected by the new Philippine law.

(Cover: The building of Chinese Foreign Ministry. /CFP)