China is putting ever greater pressure on the Philippines to cede its sovereign rights in the South China Sea, Manila's Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said on Tuesday after meeting his Australian counterpart in Canberra.

Philippine President Marcos passed two maritime laws last week in a move that Manila says will strengthen its sovereignty over waters within the country’s archipelago and the South China Sea. Using standards set forth by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),

Indonesia said on Monday it does not recognise China's claims over the South China Sea, despite signing a maritime development deal with Beijing, as some analysts warned the pact risked compromising its sovereign rights.

The move was a direct response to the Philippines’ enactment of two new laws aimed at strengthening the country’s own maritime 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.

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.

Over the weekend, the two nations signed a joint development agreement that refers to “overlapping claims” in the disputed waterway.