The United States, the United Kingdom, and 12 other Western and Asian countries jointly reaffirmed a 2016 arbitration ruling that invalidated China's expansive claims in the South China Sea. The nations stated that the ruling is "final, legally binding and definitive."
In a joint statement issued Sunday, the countries rejected what they described as "destabilizing" actions in the disputed waters that threaten regional peace. The announcement commemorated the July 12, 2016, decision by a tribunal established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The arbitration, initiated by the Philippines in 2013 following a tense standoff, largely favored Manila. The tribunal ruled that China had no legal basis for its claims to historic rights to resources within the South China Sea beyond its recognized territorial areas under UNCLOS.
China, which refused to participate in the arbitration, has consistently rejected the 2016 ruling, asserting its claims to virtually the entire sea passage. Beijing maintains that the ruling is "illegal, null and void" and does not affect its sovereignty over islands and adjacent waters.
The South China Sea, a critical global trade route, has been a site of frequent territorial disputes involving China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. The joint statement expressed strong opposition to the use of coast guard, military, and maritime militia forces to harass or obstruct lawful operations by other states at sea.
"We reaffirm the Arbitral Tribunal’s decision that there is no legal basis for China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea, including those based on 'historic rights,'" the statement read. The countries stressed the importance of upholding freedom of navigation and overflight, as well as other lawful uses of the sea as reflected in UNCLOS, and called for the peaceful resolution of territorial disputes based on the 1982 convention.
Among the signatories to the joint statement were the Philippines, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Germany, Italy, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, and Slovenia, in addition to the U.S. and the UK.
Recent years have seen an increase in territorial confrontations, with Chinese coast guard vessels and support ships employing tactics such as water cannons and dangerous maneuvers against Philippine forces and fishermen. The United States has consistently urged China to comply with the arbitration ruling. Both the Biden and Trump administrations have previously stated that Washington is obligated to defend the Philippines, its treaty ally, if its forces, vessels, or aircraft face an armed attack in the disputed waters.