In an affirmation of an international tribunal’s decision, the United States, United Kingdom, and a dozen other Western and Asian nations declared that China’s extensive territorial claims over the South China Sea are illegal. This stance aligns with a 2016 arbitral ruling.
The joint statement from 14 countries expressed rejection of what they described as destabilizing actions in disputed waters, actions that threaten regional stability. Separately, the European Union, comprising 27 nations, recognized the ruling as a ‘historic decision’ for peaceful dispute resolution.
The 2016 ruling was issued by a tribunal in The Hague, established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Described as definitive and legally binding, China rebuffed the verdict, insisting it was ‘null and void.’
China maintains it neither accepts nor recognizes this ruling. The arbitration, initiated by the Philippines in 2013, followed a tense 2012 standoff resulting in China seizing control of a disputed shoal.
The ruling dismissed China’s claims to nearly the entire maritime route, vital for global trade, foreseen as a potential flashpoint in Asia. Recent encounters include territorial clashes involving China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan.
The United States-led statement reaffirmed the tribunal’s findings and dismissed China’s maritime claims, particularly those based on ‘historical rights.’ According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, China has no legal basis to claim historical rights over resources beyond its recognized territorial waters.
Although the convention came into effect in 1994 with more than 170 signatories, including China and the Philippines, China continues to dispute the ruling.
Besides the United States and the United Kingdom, signatories of the statement include the Philippines, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Germany, Italy, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, and Slovenia. They collectively reject destabilizing, unilateral actions threatening regional peace.
The nations criticized the coercive use of coast guards, military forces, and maritime militias to disrupt and intimidate lawful operations by other states, compromising personnel and fisherman safety and endangering regional peace and security.
They stressed maintaining navigation freedom and lawful sea usage under international law, as outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and emphasized resolving territorial disputes peacefully.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing asserted that the tribunal’s ruling significantly violates general international arbitration practices and infringes China’s sovereign rights under the United Nations convention.
China will not accept claims or actions based on these judgments and rejects third-party settlements or imposed solutions.
Territorial tensions in disputed waters have intensified, particularly involving Chinese and Filipino vessels and Vietnamese forces. Chinese coast guard ships and support vessels have used water cannons, military lasers, and risky maneuvers, leading to clashes at sea and high-risk encounters in the air.
The U.S. repeatedly urges China to abide by the arbitral ruling. Both the administrations of former President Biden and current President Trump have pledged to defend the Philippines, America’s oldest treaty ally in Asia, against armed attacks on its forces, ships, or aircraft in disputed areas.