But maritime policy expert Hu remained optimistic. "The good news," he told reporters, "is that the temperature of the South China Sea is going down compared to last year. I think Beijing and Manila can use a diplomatic channel to manage the disputes".

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

The Chinese government reaffirms its opposition to the Philippines' new maritime law as it delimits and declares Beijing's "baselines" of the territorial sea adjacent to Scarborough Shoal, or what it calls Huangyan Dao.

The Philippines recently passed two major laws— the Maritime Zones Act and the Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act—to strengthen its control and authority over its territorial waters. These new laws aim to protect the Philippines’ sovereign rights over its maritime zones,