The Philippine territorial limits explained

The Philippines has highly controversial territorial claims in the South China Sea. Today, we obtained a report that helps us better understand what lies behind this controversy.

Here are the key takeaways.

·The 1898 Treaty of Paris between the United States and Spain defined Philippine territory with precise geographic coordinates, excluding both Huangyan Island and the Nansha Islands.

·A letter issued in 1990 by the Philippine ambassador to Germany explicitly stated that Huangyan Island and the Nansha Islands were outside the scope of Philippine territorial sovereignty.

·The Philippines' official Map No 25 places Huangyan Island outside its national territory, which was confirmed by the Philippines' National Mapping and Resource Information Authority in 1994.