14 nations reject China's South China Sea claims, reaffirm 2016 tribunal ruling

The United States, Japan, the Philippines and 11 other countries on Sunday reaffirmed that China's expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea have no legal basis under international law.

The statement came on the 10th anniversary of a landmark international arbitration ruling that Beijing continues to reject.

In a joint statement, the 14 countries described the 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague as a significant milestone and said it remains "final, legally binding and definitive" between China and the Philippines.

China, however, dismissed the ruling once again, calling it "null and void" and insisting that it neither accepts nor recognises the tribunal's decision.

Joint statement backs 2016 tribunal ruling

The joint statement was issued by the United States, the Philippines, Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Italy, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, New Zealand, Romania and Slovenia.

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The countries reaffirmed that there is no legal basis for China's broad maritime claims in the South China Sea, including those based on what Beijing describes as "historic rights."

The statement also expressed strong opposition to unilateral actions, coercion and the use of force that threaten peace and stability in the disputed waters. It called for freedom of navigation in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Separately, the 27-member European Union issued its own statement, describing the 2016 arbitration ruling as a landmark decision for the peaceful settlement of maritime disputes.

China rejects ruling again

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated its long-standing position that the arbitration ruling has no legal validity.

According to a report by Associated Press, the ministry said the tribunal's decision violated international arbitration practices and infringed upon China's sovereign rights. It also accused outside powers, particularly the United States, of increasing military deployments in the region and contributing to rising tensions.

Beijing urged other countries to respect what it described as China's territorial and maritime rights and to avoid actions that undermine regional stability.

China refused to participate in the arbitration proceedings initiated by the Philippines in 2013 following a standoff in the disputed waters. Despite the tribunal's ruling in favour of Manila in 2016, Beijing continues to claim sovereignty over most of the South China Sea.

Disputes continue to fuel tensions

The South China Sea remains one of the world's most strategically important waterways and a key route for global trade. China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan all have overlapping territorial claims in the region.

In recent years, confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels have become more frequent. Manila has repeatedly accused Beijing of dangerous manoeuvres within its exclusive economic zone.

The United States has repeatedly called on China to comply with the 2016 arbitration ruling.

The former Biden administration and the current Trump administration have maintained that the US is bound by its mutual defence treaty to assist the Philippines if its armed forces come under armed attack in the disputed waters.